By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) here seized a total of P6,708,506 worth of shabu from January to June 2020.
It is lower compared to P9,008,132.80 worth of shabu and marijuana seized in the same period in 2019.
According to Police Lieutenant Amiel Arvin Sunico, public information officer of Nocppo, the community quarantine brought by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic imposed in the province since March attributed to the decrease in drug recoveries so far this year.
Sunico said that drug personalities may have slowed down since March because of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), where police officers were visible in the streets, especially in checkpoint and border control points.
“Hindi din sila makalabas dahil naka lockdown,” he added.
But Sunico said that despite the imposition of the community quarantine, the provincial police force continues to intensify operations against illegal drugs.
Based on the data provided by Nocppo to Daily Guardian, about 986.545 grams of shabu was confiscated in 312 anti-illegal drug operations in the first half this year.
Sunico said 443 persons were arrested, with no reported fatalities during buy-bust operations or service of arrest warrants.
A total of 820 cases were filed, he added.
