Western Visayas drug ops yield PHP 18 million in shabu

By Jennifer P. Rendon

More than PHP 18.15 million worth of shabu was seized in a series of anti-illegal drug operations conducted across Western Visayas.

From Oct. 1 to 15, various units under the Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 confiscated approximately 2.669 kilograms of shabu with an estimated street value of PHP 18.15 million.

Authorities also seized around 3.6 kilograms of dried marijuana and 15 grams of high-grade marijuana, commonly known as kush, during the same period.

The operations led to the arrest of 63 drug suspects — 23 identified as high-value individuals (HVIs) and 40 as street-level individuals (SLIs).

The Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit 6 (RPDEU-6) recorded the highest volume of illegal drugs seized, totaling 1.07 kilograms of shabu.

The bulk of this came from the arrest of eight high-value drug personalities in four major operations.

Trailing RPDEU-6 was the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO), which seized 793 grams of shabu and 40 grams of marijuana.

The IPPO also arrested 18 suspects in 14 anti-narcotics operations.

Meanwhile, the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) carried out 24 operations that led to the confiscation of 772 grams of shabu, 3.56 kilograms of marijuana, and 15 grams of kush.

These efforts also resulted in the arrest of 34 individuals.

Brigadier General Josefino Ligan, Western Visayas police chief, said the successful operations were driven by sustained intelligence efforts and community cooperation.

“These results demonstrate your steadfast commitment to our mission of eliminating illegal drugs from every community,” Ligan said.

He encouraged all PRO-6 units to further strengthen ties with the public and improve coordination with other government agencies and partners.

“With their support, we can effectively identify and hold accountable those involved in these illegal activities,” he added.