• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Police Regional Office 6 reported the confiscation of P235 million worth of suspected shabu and dried marijuana leaves over the past six months of anti-drug operations in Western Visayas.
In a statement, the PRO 6, through its spokesman, PLt. Col. Arnel Solis, said 1,208 anti-drug operations region wide, led to the recovery of 34.2 kilograms of suspected shabu and 20.2 kilos of dried marijuana, from 1,600 arrested drug peddlers.
The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office ranked number one in terms of arrested drug peddlers, apprehending 593 suspects, while the Bacolod City Police Office nabbed 205 more.
On the other hand, the Iloilo City Police Office, then led by PCol. Joresty Coronica, who has been transferred to the Bacolod City Police Office, trailed NOCPPO with 300 suspects arrested, Iloilo PPO – 270, Regional Police Drug Enforcement Units – 72, Capiz PPO – 67, Aklan PPO – 39, while Antique and Guimaras PPOs netted 27 drug suspects each.
The RPDEU6 has the biggest volume of illegal drugs confiscation, valued at P71 million, followed by ICPO and Iloilo PPO, with estimated values of about P68 million and P53 million, respectively.
PBrig. Gen. Jack Wanky, regional police director of Western Visayas, said “May these number of arrests serve as a stern warning to those who still engage in the illegal drugs trade to stop and surrender to authorities.”
“If you opt to continue in your illegal activity, surely you will end up in jail,” Wanky warned.*
