WESTERN Visayas’ policemen intensified anti-illegal drugs operations resulted in the seizure of nearly P41 million worth of shabu, Police Regional Office 6 director Brigadier General Sydney Villaflor said Sunday.

The massive crackdown against illegal drugs cropped up amid intelligence reports traffickers may take advantage of the forthcoming Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo City to peddle shabu, said Villaflor.

“I have ordered a stepped-up crackdown against illegal drugs in the region amid the possibility that local drug dealers may sell drugs in the upcoming Dinagyang festival.

It’s better that we nip in the bud their plans,” the official told the Journal Group.

Dinagyang Festival is held every 4th Sunday of January.

On Sunday and Saturday, two separate anti-narcotics operations in Iloilo led to the arrest of three ‘high-value targets’ and the seizure of nearly P41 million worth of shabu.

Villaflor said one of the suspects, identified as alias Ira, was arrested in Sitio Siga-Siga in Brgy. Don Lutro East in Janiuay, Iloilo past 7 a.m. Sunday.

A cohort of the suspect, alias Koi-Koi, is still being hunted as of press time.

Undercover officers from the PRO-6 Regional Drug Enforcement Unit, with the assistance of the Janiuay Municipal Police Station and the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 6, conducted the operation which resulted in the in the confiscation of 42 pieces of sachets containing six kilograms of shabu worth P40.8 million, buy-bust money and a digital weighing scale.

Another operation in Bgy. Cuartero in Jaro, Iloilo city past 11 p.m. Saturday led to the arrest of two female drug personalities identified as Nene and Olive.

The two yielded some 50 grams of shabu worth P340,000.

The arrest of the three brought to 31 the number of top drug targets arrested by the PRO-6 in a series of anti-narcotics operations in the region since Monday.

The operations led to the seizure of nearly P46.5 million worth of shabu.

The official said that one of the suspects, identified as alias Bugarno, 40, of Brgy. Poblacion in Zone 1, Estancia, Iloilo yielded 150 grams of shabu valued at P1.020 million during a sting last Thursday.

Two others, identified as alias Mitch and Clyde, were arrested during a buy-bust in Purok Sigay, Bgy. 2 in Bacolod City last Friday morning.

Recovered from the duo were six heat-sealed plastic packets containing 232 grams of shabu worth P1.58 million, several drug paraphernalia and the buy-bust money topped by a marked bill.

Four other suspects identified only through their aliases Jenjen, Kloyd, Bordigol and Jojo were arrested during a sting at Zone 5 in Brgy. Boulevard in Molo, Iloilo City past 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Recovered from their possession were 19 sachets containing at least 210 grams of shabu worth P1.428 million, various drug paraphernalia, a caliber .45 semi-automatic pistol and the buy-bust money topped by a marked P1,000 bill.

Brig. Gen. Villaflor said that the Iloilo City Police Office also arrested five of the suspects who yielded 100.5 grams of the so-called ‘poor man’s cocaine’ worth P646,000.