ILOILO City – The war on illegal drugs in Western Visayas turned up the heat in September.
Police seized nearly P47-million worth of shabu and hauled in 184 drug personalities in a month-long crackdown across the region.
Figures from the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) revealed that 131 anti-drug operations conducted in just one month yielded 6,937 grams of shabu.
Of the 184 suspects arrested, 59 were tagged as high-value targets, while 135 were classified as street-level pushers and users.
“This achievement showcases the unwavering dedication and commitment of PRO-6 personnel in safeguarding our communities against the threat of illegal drugs. We stay steadfast in our mission and will continue working tirelessly to uphold the safety and welfare of the people in Western Visayas,” declared PRO-6 director Brigadier General Josefino Ligan.
He added that the volume of illegal drugs taken off the streets came from “a series of coordinated and intelligence-driven operations across the region. These include buy-busts and search warrants implementation in close coordination with local units and community informants.”
The Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) posted the biggest haul with 3,378.22 grams of shabu and 4.50 grams of marijuana seized, followed by the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) with 1,890.50 grams of shabu and 10 grams of marijuana.
The Regional Drug Enforcement Unit 6 (RDEU-6) also netted 1,075 grams of illegal drugs.
Ligan commended his unit commanders and personnel across the region for swiftly responding to his directive to pursue drug syndicates with aggressive intelligence-driven operations.
“These volumes of illegal drugs were confiscated through a series of coordinated and intelligence-driven operations,” he stressed, highlighting how teamwork among police units and grassroots informants made the campaign possible.
The numbers, authorities say, mark a decisive victory in September’s anti-drug blitz. But Ligan warned that the fight is far from over as drug networks continue to find ways to infiltrate communities./PN
