POLICE Regional Office 2 director Brigadier General Steve B. Ludan on Saturday announced the arrest of over 120 lawbreakers in the Cagayan Valley following a series of anti-criminality operations this week which led in the seizure of a sizeable quantity of shabu and marijuana.

Ten of the suspects were among the Top 10 Most Wanted Persons in different provinces in the region, the official reported to Philippine National Police chief General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar.

Ludan said that most of the arrests were made on Thursday, the day they launched a region-wide simultaneous law enforcement operations which include the service of search warrants and warrants of arrest for various criminal offenses particularly violation of Republic Act (RA) 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, and RA 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act of 2013.

Three of the suspects identified as Danilo Guerrero, 45; and his 40-year-old wife Jovie and Velma Estrada, 48, all residents of Bgy. Marabulig 1 in Cauayan City, Isabela were arrested in a buy-bust operation inside Room 31 of Seven Seas Hotel in Bgy. San Fermin.

Recovered from the suspects were three plastic sachets containing shabu, a marked P1,000 bill and assorted drug paraphernalia. A motorcycle belonging to Estrada was also impounded by the local police.

A 4th identified as Jemart Villanueva, a 28-year-old tricycle driver described as a “high-value individual” in the region was arrested in a sting in District 2 in Gamu, Isabela.

The suspect yielded two plastic sachets containing dried marijuana leaves, the buy-bust money and an improvised 12-gauge shotgun with a live ammunition. His tricycle was seized by the local police during the entrapment operation in Purok 4 in Upi, Gamu municipality.

The 5th identified as Jose Lysander Antonio, 47, a resident of Gonzaga Street Extension in Bgy. Ugac Norte, Tuguegarao City was arrested in a sting on Saturday. Recovered from the suspect who was also described as an “HVT” were six plastic sachets containing an estimated P7,000 worth of the so-called “poor man’s cocaine” and the marked money paid to him by an undercover officer.

All suspects are now facing non-bailable charges for sale and possession of prohibited drugs under RA 9165, said Ludan.

The Cagayan Valley police has also stepped-up the crackdown on all forms of illegal gambling and illegal logging activities in the region.

Ludan said that 12 known drug personalities who were arrested on the same day yielded some P30,000 worth of shabu and dried marijuana leaves.

Another 13 suspects were found in possession of 20 loose firearms.

On the other hand, seven illegal gambling personalities were also apprehended while 9,532 board feet of illegally-cut forest products valued at nearly P451,000 were confiscated.

The official said nine New People’s Army regular members and 12 of their supporters also surrendered to the local police as they continued their effort to help put an end to local communist armed conflict in Cagayan Valley.