By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD CITY – Police in Negros Occidental arrested 1,130 drug suspects and seized more than PHP39 million worth of illegal drugs in 914 operations conducted from Jan. 1 to Nov. 25 this year.
The operations led to the confiscation of 5,829 grams of shabu and 1,526 grams of marijuana. This marked an increase compared to the 762 anti-drug operations conducted by the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) during the same period last year.
In the campaign against loose firearms, Nocppo conducted 198 operations, arresting 205 individuals and confiscating 226 firearms. Additionally, 848 assorted firearms were surrendered, compared to 146 operations last year.
Nocppo also launched 737 operations against illegal gambling this year, arresting 2,401 individuals and seizing PHP617,085 in bet money. This represented an increase from 627 operations in 2023.
In its efforts to combat illegal fishing, Nocppo conducted 251 operations, arresting 686 individuals. These operations resulted in the confiscation of more than PHP431,000 worth of fish and over PHP11 million worth of fishing equipment.
The province also doubled its operations against illegal logging, conducting 18 operations this year compared to nine last year. Nearly 5,500 board feet of lumber worth PHP299,755 were confiscated.
Efforts to apprehend wanted persons yielded significant results, with 2,307 arrests recorded this year. Among them, 212 were most wanted persons, while 2,095 were classified as other wanted persons.
In support of Internal Security Operations (ISO), Nocppo reported 37 arrests of New People’s Army (NPA) members, 67 surrendered rebels, and 30 individuals who withdrew support for the NPA.
The police also reported 13 casualties in joint operations with the Philippine Army and recovered 105 assorted firearms and 68 explosives.
Police Colonel Rainerio De Chavez, Nocppo director, attributed these accomplishments to the dedication and hard work of his personnel.
“The increase in operational accomplishments reflects the unyielding commitment of all personnel. I never fail to recognize their contributions, especially those of police chiefs and operatives,” De Chavez said.
He added that recognizing these efforts fuels the enthusiasm of his personnel to deliver more and sustain the progress in making the province more peaceful and orderly.
