PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief, General Benjamin C. Acorda Jr. has commended the Police Regional Office 6 headed by Brigadier Gen. Sydney N. Villaflor for confiscating over P200 million worth of shabu since last June.

The top cop noted that the aggressive anti-illegal drug operations by the Western Visayas police force has made quite a huge dent on the illegal drug industry in the country and prevented the possibility the major drug haul could be distributed in many parts of the region and create more trouble in the streets.

Villaflor said that latest to be arrested in the region was a ‘high-value target’ identified as alias ‘Pit-pit’ who yielded 355 grams of the so-called ‘poor man’s cocaine’ valued at P2.414 million last Sunday in Bgy. Poblacion, Bingawan, Iloilol

Ten other suspects were arrested on Friday and Saturday during anti-drug operations which yielded around 118 grams of shabu worth nearly P800,000.

The Bacolod City Police Office accounted for 75.2 grams of shabu valued at P511,360 followed by the Iloilo Police Provincial Office with 30 grams worth P204,000. The Negros Occidental PPO confiscated 7.4 grams valued at P50,352 while the Guimaras PPO accounted for 5 grams of the prohibited substance worth P34,000.

Brig. Gen. Villaflor said that eight anti-narcotics operations were conducted by his men during the period with the Negros Occidental PPO arresting four; the Bacolod City police with three; the Iloilo PPO with two; and the Guimaras PPO with one.

Of the 10 suspects arrested, three were identified as’ high-value individuals’ while the rest were described as ‘street-level targets.’

The official said that two of the top targets identified as ‘Mon’ and ‘Paolo’ were arrested during a sting in Purok Cabalagnan in Barangay Tangub in Bacolod City around 1 a.m. Saturday.

The two yielded nearly P490,000 worth of shabu.

Another suspect identified as ‘Kalbo’ was arrested during a buy-bust operation in Tigbauan, Iloilo which led in the recovery of P136,000 worth of the drugs.

A 4th suspect identified as’ Igor’ yielded P68,000 worth of shabu during a sting in Bgy. Anong in Cabatuan, Iloilo.

Two weeks ago, three ‘HVTs’ in the region were also arrested after they conspired to sell three kilograms of shabu worth P20.4 million to an undercover officer in Jaro, Iloilo City.

The official identified the arrested suspects only thru their aliases ‘Shanon,’ ‘Kerry’ and ‘Anne.’

According to the PRO6 director, the trio were arrested in a buy-bust operation inside the Dolmax Subdivision in Barangay Camalig in Jaro, Iloilo City.

Recovered during the sting were 26 heat-sealed plastic sachets and two plastic bags containing shabu, the buy-bust money topped by a marked bill, a mobile phone used by the suspects to make contact with the poseur and several empty plastic sachets being used to repacked the drugs.

Two plastic bags recovered during the operation were found wrapped in green Chinese tea bags.

Villaflor said that prior to those operations, they have accounted for nearly 186 million worth of shabu as a result of its stepped-up campaign against illegal drug trafficking and abuse in Western Visayas from May to October this year.

“In line with our conduct of honest and aggressive law enforcement operations as ordered by Gen. Acorda, we have doubled our anti-narcotics accomplishments over the past five months,” the official said.

PRO6 data showed that from January 1 to May 23 this year, the PRO6 seized some P88 million worth of illegal drugs. During the preceding days up to last October 31, the Western Visayas police force confiscated an estimated P185.9 million worth of drugs, or more than twice the volume they accounted for in the preceding five months.

Four known drug targets in the region were also arrested in a police operation in Talisay City in Negros Occidental early this month which led in the seizure of nearly P500,000 worth of shabu and an unlicensed firearm.

Villaflor said that the suspects he identified only thru their aliases ‘Mike,’ Noynoy,’ ‘Tepen’ and ‘Nonoy’ were arrested by undercover officers from the Drug Enforcement Unit of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office during a sting inside the Talisay City Slaughterhouse Compound in Barangay Zone 1.

He said that suspect ‘Mike’ is known as a ‘high-value individual’ while the three others are newly-identified drug personalities in the region.

The official said that recovered from the suspects were 29 heat-sealed plastic sachets containing the so-called ‘poor man’s cocaine’,’ the buy-bust money topped by a marked bill, a chamber-loaded caliber .45 semi-automatic pistol with a magazine containing five live ammunition and several drug paraphernalia.

All arrested suspects are now facing non-bailable charges for sale and possession of prohibited drugs under RA 9165 and RA 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act of 2013, said the PRO6 director.