Law enforcement authorities prevented the circulation of close to P9 million worth of shabu in Western Visayas through an eight-day operation conducted by the various units of the Police Regional Office (PRO-6).

PRO-6 spokesperson Major Grace Borio, in an interview Tuesday, Oct. 11, said from Oct. 3 to 10, a total of 32 operations were conducted that led to the confiscation of 1,300.58 grams of shabu valued at P8.84 million and the arrest of 42 individuals.

She said that the accomplishment has ballooned due to the contribution of the Pontevedra Municipal Police Station in Capiz where 595 grams of shabu worth P4.046 million was seized while they were conducting a checkpoint around 6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 10, in Barangay Bailan.

“The suspect was Roberto Dela Cruz, just happened to pass by at the checkpoint. He attempted to escape but was arrested due to disobedience. During the search of his properties, the authorities found in his backpack the more than P4 million worth of shabu,” Borio said.

He is currently detained at the Pontevedra Municipal Police Station.

The 59-year-old suspect, a resident of Barangay San Jose, Roxas City, is sixth on the illegal drug watch list or a high-value individual of the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

The local police also recovered from his possession a .32 caliber and a 9mm pistols.

The suspect’s area of operation includes the whole province of Capiz.

Another huge confiscation was by the La Paz Police Station 2 also on Monday afternoon with over P646,000 worth of shabu.

“This reflects our strengthened intelligence monitoring and there is the cooperation from our community that is why we were able to make big recoveries. Our community feeds the information to our police officers for us to arrest those illegal drug personalities,” she added.

The huge recoveries, Borio said, would be a big factor that could help lessen criminality in the region.

Other recoveries were from the Guimaras Police Provincial Office worth around P74,800 for 11 grams of seized shabu with one person captured; Iloilo Police Provincial Office, P430,440 for 63.30 grams of shabu while six suspects were arrested; Iloilo City Police Office collared nine suspects and confiscated P1.876,800 worth of 276 grams of shabu; Bacolod City Police Office with 90 grams of shabu valued at P612,000 and six persons apprehended; and Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office arrested 18 persons for 170. 28 grams of shabu worth P1.157, 904.PNA