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ILOILO CITY — Law enforcement authorities confiscated over P14 million worth of illegal drugs and arrested three high-value individuals (HVIs) in a series of operations in Iloilo on Monday and Tuesday.
On Monday, the Iloilo Provincial Police Office (IPPO) arrested an HVI suspect identified only as alias Jopet, a 40-year-old fighting cock handler from Pilar in Capiz, during a buy-bust in Barangay Kinalkalan, Balasan, in northern Iloilo.
Authorities confiscated from the possession of Jopet approximately 890 grams of suspected shabu worth P6.05 million.
The IPPO said Jopet has been under surveillance for six months. He had been previously arrested for the same offense in 2016.
Based on the IPPO's intelligence reports, the suspect sourced illegal drugs from Iloilo City and distributed them in Carles, Balasan, and other towns in Northern Iloilo, as well as Pilar, Capiz, and neighboring areas.
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In a separate operation on the early morning of March 11, authorities arrested two HVIs in Barangay Bulaqueña, Estancia, a nearby town of Balasan.
The operation resulted in the recovery of 1,120 grams of suspected shabu worth P7.6 million.
The suspects were identified as alias Adnan, a resident of Poblacion in Estancia, and alias Rogielyn, a resident of Barangay Mambulak in Silay City. Both suspects are classified as HVIs.
They were apprehended after allegedly selling a sachet of shabu to an undercover police officer.
Authorities also conducted 20 other anti-illegal drugs operations across Western Visayas from March 10 to 11, resulting in the seizure of P2.6 million worth of illegal drugs.
The Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) said the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office recorded the highest number of arrests, apprehending 17 individuals, which accounts for 68 percent of the total arrests made during the operations.
"These arrests are the results of the collaborative and well-coordinated effort of the community, other law enforcement agencies, and the local government units," said PRO-6 director BGen. Jack Wanky.
