PHILIPPINE National Police Officer-in-Charge (PNP-OIC) Lieutenant General Vicente D. Danao Jr. yesterday announced the arrest of a top drug suspect in Central Visayas (CV) who yielded nearly P7.5 million worth of shabu during a buy-bust operation in Cebu City last Tuesday.

“Our relentless campaign against illegal drugs ramped up another major accomplishment with the arrest of a 27-year-old high-value individual in Cebu,” the top cop said as he commended the Police Regional Office 7 (PRO 7), headed by Brig. Gen. Roque Edgardo DP Vega for their latest major anti-drug operation.

The drug suspect was arrested during the sting in New Imus Road in Sitio Riverside, Bgy. Lorega in San Miguel, Cebu City.

“The value of illegal drugs seized reflects the major drug operation being run in Cebu. Charges will be pressed against the suspect,” Lt. Gen. Danao said.

The PNP-OIC has commended the PRO7 for their unrelenting “war on drugs” which since September last year has led to the seizure of over P600 million worth of shabu.

From September 2021 to date, the Central Visayas police force has already collared dozens of “high-value targets” (HVTs) in the region during buy-bust operations and service of search warrants which resulted in confiscating the huge volume of the so-called “poor man’s cocaine”.

The PRO7 and the PNP-Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-DEG) headed by Brig. Gen. Randy Q. Peralta are partnering to identify and arrest the main source of the drugs recovered from the suspects many believed to be acting in cahoots with already jailed drug traffickers.

“These accomplishments were the result of the enhanced cooperation between the PRO7 and other law enforcement agencies led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency [PDEA], as well as the support they are getting from the local community when it comes to reporting illegal drug activities in their neighborhood,” said the top cop.

Last Saturday alone, PRO7 agents arrested a top drug trafficker after he sold three kilograms of shabu worth P24.4 million to an undercover officer in Talisay City in Cebu province.

The suspect with the alias “Palta”, jobless, resident of Paco St. in Sta. Ana, Manila, is now facing non-bailable charges for selling and possessing prohibited drugs under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, Brig. Gen. Roque said.

In a report to Lt. Gen. Danao, the official said the suspect was arrested in a buy-bust operation along Sombria Road in Bgy. Lawaan in Talisay City past 10:00 p.m. last June 18.

Brig. Gen. Vega said that undercover officers from the Talisay City Police Station under the Cebu Police Provincial Office conducted the sting targeting the suspect who rents a house along Saint Jude St. in Bgy. Hipodromo in Cebu City.

The PRO7 director said that confiscated from the suspect’s possession were three kilos of shabu valued at P24.4 million and the buy-bust money topped by several marked bills.

“We have accounted for another ‘Regional High-Value Individual’ who has been one of our main targets for neutralization this month,” said Brig. Gen. Vega.

The suspect is now being held at the Talisay City Police Station lock-up facility while the confiscated drugs were placed under the safekeeping of the Regional Forensic Unit 7 for qualitative and quantitative analysis.

On Monday last week, PRO7 operatives also arrested an “HVT” in Central Visayas during a buy-bust operation in Bgy. Pajo in Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu province, which resulted in the confiscation of four kilos of shabu worth P27.2 million last Monday, the top cop said.

Lt. Gen. Danao said that undercover officers from the PRO7 Regional Drug Enforcement Unit (RDEU) and Regional Intelligence Division (RID), and the Lapu-Lapu City Police conducted the sting with the help of the PDEA.

The two drug suspects were arrested in an anti-narcotics operation in Bgy. Sambag 1 in Cebu City last June 14.

Confiscated were P68 million worth of shabu.

All three were also described as Regional High-Value Individuals in Region 7.

Members of the PRO7 RDEU and RID and the local PDEA initiated the major drug sting in Cebu City, the official added.