By Jennifer P. Rendon
Police in the city and province of Iloilo logged accomplishments in their anti-illegal drug campaigns on Feb 10, 2023.
The Oton Municipal Police Station and the Iloilo Police Provincial Office-Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (IPPO-PDEU) scored the biggest confiscation of around 74 grams of shabu with an estimated standard drug price value of P503,200.
The shabu was seized during the buy-bust operation against Rongie Melocoton at around 2:30 p.m. Friday at Barangay Poblacion South, Oton.
The 34-year-old jobless suspect from Barangay Poblacion East, Oton, was collared after selling a sachet of suspected shabu for P7,200.
He subsequently yielded a knot-tied plastic and four more sachets of suspected shabu.
Major Fernand Limbungan, Oton police chief, said the suspect had been arrested in a buy-bust operation in 2016.
After a few years, he was released from jail after availing of the plea-bargaining agreement.
In July 2022, police subjected him to another buy-bust operation.
But he instead sent his 16-year-old nephew and another man during the trade.
At almost the same time that Melocoton was arrested, members of Estancia MPS also arrested a suspected drug trader in another buy-bust operation at Tacbuyan, Estancia town.
Mario Arco, 38, also a resident of the said barangay, was collared after selling a sachet of suspected shabu worth P500.
Six more sachets of suspected shabu were seized from him after he was frisked.
On the other hand, the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) also arrested another high-value individual (HVI).
The ICPO City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) nabbed Erwin Canicula, 31, of Barangay San Juan, Molo, Iloilo City.
He yielded around 25 grams of shabu worth P170,000 in a drug bust at Barangay Yulo Drive, Arevalo, early Friday morning.
At 3 a.m. of the same day, members of Iloilo City Police Station 4 arrested Syrus Belinario at Barangay San Pedro, Molo.
The 30-year-old suspect is an ambulant vendor residing at Barangay Bagumbayan, City Proper, Iloilo City.
Belinario had no previous drug arrests.
All suspects are now detained and will be charged for violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).
