PRO8 arrests 169 drug offenders, seized 21M worth of illegal drugs

By RPCRD, Police Regional Office 8
December 12, 2012

CAMP RUPERTO K. KANGLEON, Palo, Leyte  –  The intensified crackdown by the Philippine National Police against the proliferation of illegal drugs in Eastern Visayas has netted a good number of drug suspects and a seizure of a significant amount of illegal drugs as the Police Regional Office 8 (PRO8) vowed to make the area free from the drug menace.

“The campaign against illegal drugs remains to be one of our top priority as we want to make Eastern Visayas illegal drugs-free,” Police Chief Superintendent Elmer Ragadio Soria, Eastern Visayas regional director said.

Soria informed that from January 1 to November 30 this year, intensified anti-illegal drugs operations conducted by the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group (AIDSOTG) of PRO8 resulted in the confiscation of P21,024,242.90 worth of illegal drugs in 152 anti-drug operations across the region.

“The confiscated illegal drugs includes 4 bricks of cocaine; 74.646 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride or “shabu”; 286 uprooted marijuana plants, 13 marijuana sticks, 1,599.638 grams of dried marijuana leaves, 10 marijuana teabags and 1.13 grams marijuana seeds,” the police official disclosed.

Soria added that a total of 169 violators of RA 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 were rounded-up by the police in drug buy-bust operations, raids and searches, and marijuana eradication operations, resulting in the filing of 150 drug charges in different courts regionwide.

This developed as AIDSOTG operatives arrested another suspected drug pusher Monday morning in a buy-bust operation in Villaba town in Leyte.

Soria identified the suspect as one Rudy Pregoner, carpenter, married, who was nabbed by narcotics operatives infront of Akis Bakeshop in Brgy. Poblacio Sur of said town.

The police were able to buy from the suspect 2 small heat sealed plastics sachets with white crystalline substance suspected to be “shabu” and confiscated 3 more small heat-sealed transparent plastics sachets with suspected “shabu” and the buy-bust money amounting to P800.00. Drug charges are being prepared against the suspect who is currently detained at the Villaba PNP lock-up cell.

“While the illegal drugs situation in the region is not alarming, it needs close monitoring due to geographical and economic factors,” the Regional Director averred.

He explained that geographically, Eastern Visayas has wide coastal areas with several ports and terminals that could serve as the entrance and exit points of illegal drugs.

On the other hand, EV’s reputation as one of the fastest growing regions attracts both legitimate and illegitimate businesses.

Soria informed that he had already discussed the matter to his counterparts in the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) during the Regional Law Enforcement Coordinating Council (RLECC) conference for the activation of anti-drug councils and intensification of security measures in seaports and terminals in the region aside from soliciting support from the members of the community.