By Perla Lena | Philippine News Agency
Two separate operations launched by the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) yielded 775 grams of shabu with an estimated street value of almost P5.3 million and the arrest of three individuals on Wednesday.
A report submitted by the ICPO to the mayor’s office showed that a buy-bust operation launched by the City Drugs Enforcement Unit against alias “Bulldog,” a high-value individual (HVI), at around 7 p.m. in Barangay East Timawa resulted in the seizure of about 500 grams of shabu worth P3.4 million.
At 11:25 a.m. of the same day, operatives from Police Station 1 arrested alias “Inday Lyndy”, another HVI, and a street-level individual alias “Mark” in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Muelle Loney and seized 275 grams of shabu worth P1.87 million.
Mayor Jerry Treñas, in a statement released on Wednesday evening, expressed his “heartfelt gratitude” to the ICPO.
“The proactive efforts of the ICPO not only prevented the proliferation of these harmful substances, but also saved countless Ilonggo families from the destructive impact of illegal drugs,” he said.
PBGEN. Jack Wanky, director of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO6), in an earlier interview, said efforts have been intensified to reduce drug supply, like the creation of an interdiction task force in ports and airports, to prevent its entry.
“We cannot deny the fact that our shorelines are very porous. We have to focus on the demand-reduction program,” he said, adding that the success of the anti-drug campaign is not gauged by the arrest and confiscation.
He said one measure to determine the success of the anti-drug campaign is the successful rehabilitation of drug users.
Wanky also emphasized the need to strengthen anti-drug abuse councils down to the barangay level.