CEBU CITY: A total of P43.4million (US$0.76 million) worth of shabu was seized in just three days in Central Visayas through aggressive police operations conducted across the region.
The Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) reported that the drugs were confiscated from Monday, March 3 to Wednesday, March 5.
During the conduct of 189 anti-illegal drugs operation, law enforcers seized various drug paraphernalia as well as the shabu.
They also apprehended a total of 207 alleged drug suspects.
One of them is 62-year-old alias “Ackoie,” a resident of Barangay Quiot Pardo, Cebu City who was arrested after 1.5 kilograms of illegal drugs were found in his possession.
Ackoie was nabbed through a drug bust on Wednesday night in Zone 7, Barangay Mantuyong, Mandaue City.
Among those arrested, 15 individuals were tagged as High-value individuals (HVI), 144 were Street Level individuals (SLI), and 48 were newly-identified drug personalities.
The recent simultaneous operations across the region highlight the effectiveness of PRO-7’s strategies against the proliferation of illegal drugs and enhances the initiatives they currently have to combat substance abuse, according to PRO-7 regional director Police Brigadier General Redrico Maranan.
“Through our strong collaboration, law enforcement and the community are effectively reducing demand and supply addressing drug trafficking activities that often lead to violence and crime. Our efforts are yielding results. Let’s continue this momentum!” he stated.
During the same time period, PRO-7 personnel also arrested 95 individuals accused of being involved in illegal gambling activities.
Operatives confiscated P8,690 (US$152) in cash as a the result of the three-day coordinated police operations.
According to PRO-7, the arrested individuals included 28 individuals involved in number games, 15 in card games, two in cockfighting, 14 in Cara y Cruz, and one for other gambling-related activities.
Maranan stressed that their operations, in collaboration with local government units, are always geared towards drug supply reduction, illegal gambling, loose firearms and bringing wanted suspects to jail.
“This operation demonstrates the importance of community involvement and the remarkable efforts of law enforcement officers in maintaining public safety,” he stated. - Cebu Daily News via Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
