A TOTAL of 154 lawbreakers, 95 of them among most wanted persons in Central Mindanao were arrested by agents of the Police Regional Office 12 (PRO12) in a massive anti-crime sweep in the region on Wednesday, PRO12 director, Brigadier General John Michael F. Dubria said.

In a report to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar, the Soccsksargen police director said those arrested include four of the region’s most wanted persons –actually the 72nd, 73rd, 74th and 75th most wanted in Region 12–and 19 others involved in illegal drug trafficking activities.

Brig. Gen. Dubria said that also arrested during the conduct of the Simultaneous Anti-Criminality Law Enforcement Operations formerly known as the PNP ‘One-Time, Big-Time’ operations were 35 persons involved in illegal gambling activities.

The official said that recovered during the operations were 85 heat-sealed plastic sachets containing nearly 18 grams of shabu worth about P117,000, three plastic sachets with dried marijuana leaves, 124 assorted low-powered and high-powered firearms, one rifle grenade, a fragmentation grenade, a 40mm live ammunition and P7,164 in gambling bets.

Dubria said the arrests were made in South Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato as well as General Santos City.

He added that the simultaneous anti-crime operations were launched by members of the PRO12 Regional Intelligence Division, Drug Enforcement Unit and Regional Mobile Force Battalion, the local Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, the Regional Intelligence Unit and the Sarangani, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato Police Provincial Offices and the General Santos City Police Office.

Appropriate criminal charges for illegal possession of drugs, firearms, explosives and illegal gambling are being readied against the arrested suspects, Dubria said.

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Alfred P. Dalizon