ILOILO City – In a span of 24 hours, police operatives across Western Visayas seized an estimated P4 million worth of suspected shabu and arrested six drug suspects, including four high-value targets, in a string of intensified anti-drug operations.
The biggest haul came during a dawn buy-bust on April 24, led by the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit 6 (RPDEU-6) on Commission Civil Street in Barangay Luna, Jaro district here.
Authorities confiscated 330 grams of suspected shabu valued at P2.2 million from two suspects identified only as alias “Mark”, 39, of Banate, Iloilo, and alias “Maricel”, 39, of Barangay Malipayon, Iloilo City. Both are tagged as high-value individuals in the regional drug watchlist.
Earlier, on April 23 at around 2:02 p.m., police operatives from the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) seized approximately 160 grams of suspected shabu, worth around P1 million, in a separate buy-bust in Barangay Bakhawan Sur, Concepcion, Iloilo. The suspect, alias “Nonoy”, a local resident, was arrested during the operation.
In total, police confiscated 568 grams of shabu from various operations conducted from the morning of April 23 to the early hours of April 24.
PRO-6 regional director Police Brigadier General Jack Wanky commended the regional anti-drug units for their successful operations and expressed appreciation to stakeholders supporting the campaign against illegal drugs.
“These accomplishments are the result of strong coordination and community support. We thank the public, local governments, and our partner agencies for their continued cooperation. Rest assured, we will sustain aggressive efforts to protect our communities from the threats of illegal drugs,” Wanky said in a statement.
All arrested individuals are currently under police custody and will face charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002./PN
