BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The number of drug groups in Negros Occidental is now down to two, from six in previous years, with P37 million worth of illegal drug had been seized by the police last year in the province, deputy provincial police spokesperson Lt. Abegael Donasco reported yesterday.
On the other hand, the Bacolod City Police Office under the leadership of P/Col. Joseph Thomas Martir, also seized P22 million worth of illegal drugs from 750 drug personalities, who were separately apprehended in 561 police operations in 2021, according to P/Lt. Liberty Indiape, deputy BCPO spokesperson.
Of the 750 drug personalities whose illegal drug activities had been neutralized following their arrests, Indiape said 23 of them are considered as High Value Individuals (HVI).
Meanwhile, Donasco identified the two remaining drug groups as that of Bugalon and Virtusio, all operating in northern Negros.
The anti-illegal drug campaign in Negros Occidental also led to the arrest of 821 drug suspects in 638 police operations, she added.
In the campaign against loose firearms, NOCPPO recovered 163 assorted firearms from 136 arrested individuals, while BCPO seized 25 firearms, and 22 violators had been arrested.
Indiape also reported that 103 other firearms have been surrendered to BCPO, while 34 others were deposited for safekeeping.
In the same period, Indiape said that 178 persons had been arrested for illegal gambling in Bacolod City, while NOCPPO netted 2,758 illegal gambling violators that resulted in the confiscation of P2.6 million bet money.
A total of 2,624 wanted persons arrested by NOCPPO, while BCPO apprehended 111 more individuals, with pending arrest warrants for various offenses.*
