AT least 67 known drug personalities in Metro Manila were hauled to jail by agents of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) in a string of anti-narcotics operations which led in the confiscation of nearly P4 million worth of shabu over the weekend, NCRPO director, Brigadier General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr said on Monday.

The official said that 26 of the suspects were arrested last Friday in different buy-bust operations in the metropolis which resulted in the seizure of over P2 million worth of the so-called “poor man’s cocaine.”

Nartatez said that two of the suspects identified as Marlyn Joey Gatchalian, 31, and John Ronald Baltazar, 21, were arrested in a sting along EDSA corner Taft Avenue in Pasay City 8 p.m. Friday.

Undercover officers from the NCRPO Regional Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) and the Pasay City Police Station DEU confiscated some 200 grams of shabu worth P1.360 million and the buy-bust money topped by several marked bills from the two “high-value targets” (HVTs) in the metropolis.

Nartatez said that the 24 other targets yielded nearly P780,000 worth of shabu following separate entrapment operations on the same day.

On Thursday last week, he said the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) headed by Brig. Gen. Nicolas D. Torre III also hauled to jail 15 known drug personalities in the city and confiscated around P624,000 worth of shabu from the offenders.

Two of the suspects identified as Michael Legria and Maricar Bacocanag yielded an estimated 60 grams of the drug valued at P408,000 during a sting in Sta. Ana Street in Bgy. San Antonio conducted by members of the QCPD Station 2 under Lieutenant Colonel Resty Damaso.

On the other hand, operatives from the QCPD Station 6 under Lt. Col. Paterno Domondon Jr. arrested Johari Bantayao along Isaiah corner F. Salvador Streets in Jordan Plains Subdivision located in Bgy. Sta. Monica in Novaliches.

The suspect yielded 18 grams of shabu worth P122,400.

Last Thursday, Nartatez said officers from the Eastern Police District headed by Brig. Gen. Wilson C. Asueta Jr. arrested three “HVTs” identified as Marcelo Grande Jr., 39; Fatima Pastores, 35; and Bainot Mangulamas, 33, during a sting along Jaybee St. in Bgy. Nangka in Marikina City.

Members of the Marikina City Police Station DEU recovered some 80 grams of shabu worth P544,000 from the trio.

On the same day, the five NCRPO districts also accounted for 23 drug personalities.

Natatez said that all suspects are now facing charges for sale and possession of prohibited drugs under Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

He also commended the men and women of the NCRPO who put the suspects to jail and confiscated the huge volume of shabu.

“We will not rest on our laurels until we accomplish our main objective which is to have a drug-free Metro Manila. Team NCRPO is certain that elimination of illegal drugs in our region is a strategic approach in reducing the crime rate in our area of responsibility,” the official said.