BACOLOD City — The Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) intensified its campaign against illegal drugs after three separate buy-bust operations in Negros Occidental yielded nearly 786 grams of suspected shabu worth more than P5 million and led to the arrest of three alleged drug personalities.
The operations, conducted in San Carlos City and Bacolod City on August 14 and 16, underscored the regional police office’s continued use of intelligence gathering, surveillance and targeted enforcement operations to disrupt the local illegal drug trade, PRO-NIR said.
The three operations resulted in the recovery of a combined 785.87 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated standard drug price (SDP) of P5,343,916.
The first operation was conducted by the San Carlos City Police Station of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office at about 7:08 p.m. on August 14 in Purok Lubi, Barangay 1, San Carlos City.
Arrested was alias “Ry,” 27, a single store owner and resident of the area, who was identified by police as a high-value individual allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade.
Police said the operation stemmed from information provided by a confidential informant. Subsequent casing and validation allegedly showed that the suspect operated a sari-sari store and junkshop, which investigators believed were being used as fronts for his alleged drug activities.
Authorities recovered 18 heat-sealed transparent sachets containing suspected shabu, including the buy-bust item, as well as a pink bag and P900 in buy-bust money.
The total suspected shabu recovered was estimated at 335.87 grams, with an SDP of P2,283,916.
The second operation was conducted in Purok Gaisano, Barangay Alijis, Bacolod City, also on August 14.
Personnel of the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit (RPDEU) of PRO-NIR, with support from the Regional Special Operations Group, Police Intelligence Team-Negros Occidental, Regional Intelligence Unit-NIR and Police Station 7 of the Bacolod City Police Office, arrested another alleged high-value individual identified as alias “Yur,” 18.
Police said the suspect, who was unemployed, had previously been arrested for an alleged violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, in 2023. He was subsequently referred to the Social Development Center in Bacolod City for intervention because he was a minor at the time.
Following information from a confidential informant, police conducted surveillance and validation operations and allegedly found that the suspect had resumed selling illegal drugs, including to customers inside his residence.
The ensuing buy-bust operation resulted in the recovery of about 100 grams of suspected shabu valued at approximately P680,000, along with several sachets containing suspected shabu, P1,000 in buy-bust money, P2,500 in alleged drug proceeds and other non-drug items.
The third operation was conducted in the early hours of August 16 along Palanca Road in Barangay 12, Bacolod City, where personnel of Police Station 1 of the BCPO arrested alias “Jo,” 21, an unemployed resident of Barangay Bata.
According to PRO-NIR, the operation was launched after a confidential informant reported the suspect’s alleged involvement in the distribution of illegal drugs.
Casing, surveillance and validation operations reportedly showed that the suspect allegedly supplied customers in Barangays 12, 16 and 35 and nearby areas of Bacolod City.
At about 1:16 a.m., police conducted the buy-bust operation after the suspect allegedly sold a sachet of suspected shabu to a poseur-buyer.
Authorities recovered several packs of suspected shabu, including the buy-bust item, four knot-tied plastic bags, five large sachets and two elongated sachets. A body bag and P1,000 in buy-bust money were also recovered.
The confiscated suspected shabu from the third operation was estimated at 350 grams, with an SDP of P2.38 million.
PRO-NIR said the confiscated evidence was subjected to the required marking, inventory and documentation procedures under Section 21 of Republic Act 9165.
The three suspects are in police custody while appropriate charges for alleged violations of Republic Act 9165 are being prepared or processed.
PRO-NIR Regional Director Brig. Gen. Romano V. Cardiño described the operations as a significant blow to the illegal drug trade in the Negros Island Region./PN
