Three nabbed in PHP 1.7M Iloilo drug bust

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Three men were arrested in an anti-illegal drug operation conducted in the late afternoon of August 30 in Dingle, Iloilo.

Police identified the suspects as alias Junjun, 46, of Barangay Agsalanan; alias Pol, 50, of Barangay Licu-an; and alias Opel, 49, who was arrested at his home in Barangay Ilajas.

Junjun, a former convict, was the primary target of the buy-bust operation led by the Iloilo Police Provincial Office–Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (IPPO-PDEU).

Junjun and Pol, a regular employee of the Dingle municipal government, are classified as high-value drug personalities, while Opel is tagged as a street-level pusher.

During the operation, police confiscated approximately 250 grams of suspected shabu with a standard drug value of PHP 1.7 million.

Authorities also recovered a caliber .38 revolver from the scene.

IPPO-PDEU chief Maj. Dadje Delima said the suspects were placed under surveillance for nearly a month before the sting was launched.

Investigators confirmed the suspects were actively involved in illegal drug activities and had been sourcing supplies from Metro Manila.

Their reported distribution areas include Dingle and nearby municipalities.

All three suspects are now in custody and will face charges for violating Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, and Republic Act 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.