Prov’l police tighten border security vs. illegal drugs

The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) is working with other law enforcement agencies to strengthen border security to prevent the entry of illegal drugs in the province.

In the past week alone, more than P8 million worth of suspected shabu have been recovered in various anti-drug operations in the province.

Lt. Judesses Catalogo, public information officer of NOCPPO, said they are closely coordinating with the Philippine Coast Guard in monitoring the various ports of entry and also with neighboring provinces as part of the operations.

“Our previous undertakings resulted in the arrest of drugs entering the province,” Catalogo said in a virtual press briefing.

He added that the continuing instruction of acting provincial director Col. Leo Pamittan is to intensify intelligence monitoring on illegal drug operations.

Catalogo said it is possible that the southern part of the province, where the police recovered more than P1 million worth of shabu in Kabankalan City last week, is just a transit area of illegal drugs coming from other provinces.

“But the positive thing about this is the suspects have been arrested and we have prevented the possibility that the illegal drugs will be distributed and sold, and victimize especially the young people,” he added.

On July 22, joint police operatives also seized P7.14 million worth of suspected shabu from two individuals during a buy-bust in Barangay Guinhalaran, Silay City.

The arrested suspects, both residents of Barangay Pasong Tamo, Quezon City, were tagged as couriers of illegal drugs coming from Luzon.* (Nanette Guadalquiver)