• GILBERT P. BAYORAN / THERESA MAE DULMAN
Police authorities in Negros Island Region (NIR) confiscated nearly P44 million worth of suspected shabu over the span of a five-day anti-drug campaign that resulted in the arrest of five drug suspects, including a local government employee.
According to a report from the Police Regional Office–Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR), the biggest haul was recorded by the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) which confiscated about 6.3 kilos of suspected shabu, valued at P42.8 million, in anti-drug operations on May 19 and 23.
The buy bust operation on May 23 at Purok Camonsil in Barangay 3, Bacolod City, led to the arrest of a suspect identified as ‘Mark’ and the seizure of about 2.1 kilograms of suspected shabu valued at approximately P14.2 million.
On May 19, BCPO operatives confiscated around 4.2 kilograms of suspected shabu worth P28.5 million from a female courier during a buy-bust operation at Purok Fatima Islamic Center in Barangay 31, Bacolod City.
In Negros Oriental, police arrested a municipal government employee during a buy-bust operation at Purok 3, Barangay Balugo, Valencia town. The suspect, also identified by the alias ‘Mark,’ reportedly works for the Valencia municipal government. Authorities recovered 54.3 grams of suspected shabu valued at P363,120 from the suspect.
The confiscated items included one elongated heat-sealed sachet used as the buy-bust item, three additional heat-sealed sachets of suspected shabu, two empty elongated plastic packets, a digital weighing scale, and a mobile phone.
A green Kawasaki KLX 150 motorcycle, a brown and black sling bag, and the genuine P500 buy-bust bill were also seized.
Meanwhile, in Hinigaran, Negros Occidental, police arrested a 47-year-old suspect known as ‘Torag’ during a buy-bust operation conducted on Saturday at Sitio Ubay, Barangay Pilar. Recovered from the suspect, who was classified as the No. 3 provincial-level high-value individual (HVI), was an estimated 110 grams of suspected shabu worth P748,000.
Another anti-drug operation conducted on May 22 in Zone 2, Barangay Patun-an, Calatrava, Negros Occidental resulted in the arrest of an alleged drug peddler and the confiscation of 40 grams of suspected shabu valued at P272,000.
Police Brig. Gen. Romano Cardiño, acting regional director of PRO-NIR, commended the operating units for the successful operations and reiterated the police force’s commitment to sustaining intelligence-driven and high-impact anti-illegal drug operations to ensure safer communities and maintain peace and order across the region.
Cardiño said the series of operations highlighted the regional police force’s intensified campaign against illegal drugs and its commitment to dismantling drug networks regardless of the suspects’ status or influence.
The police also credited strengthened intelligence operations and continued cooperation between law enforcement agencies and communities for the success of the campaign.*
