By Jennifer P. Rendon
Despite relentless operations against illegal drugs, many shabu pushers are still arrested.
And that’s because “being a shabu-consuming region, there is still a supply of illegal drugs coming in from Central Visayas and Metro Manila,” Brigadier General Leo Francisco, Western Visayas police chief, said.
Francisco said they have been keeping an eye on supplies that are being coursed through different transshipment points in the region.
For illegal drugs coming from outside the region, he said that they are coordinating with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Philippine Ports Authority, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), and the Philippine Coast Guard in strengthening the security at ports and airports.
“We also do Intelligence fusion with the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7, the National Capital Regional Police Office, and other police units,” Francisco said.
He added that the relentless and continuous police operations against illegal drugs starting in early December 2022 netted big quantities of shabu.
“That is really our target and it will continue in the next coming days,” he said.
PRO-6 records showed that different police units all over the region have conducted 34 operations from April 17 to 20. There were 43 suspected drug pushers arrested.
As usual, the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) has still the most number of anti-illegal drug operations at 14 while Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) conducted 8 operations; Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) with 6; Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) and Guimaras PPO with 2 each; and Antique PPO and the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit (RPDEU) 6 with 1 each.
Capiz PPO and Aklan PPO registered zero operations on anti-illegal drugs for the period.
Meanwhile, Francisco said they have not monitored any big illegal drug groups in the region.
