MANILA — In a significant achievement, the Western Visayas police seized a staggering P40.8 million worth of shabu and apprehended a high-value individual during a buy-bust operation in Janiuay, Iloilo on Sunday.
Capt. Glen Soliman, leading the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit 6, identified the arrested suspect as alias “Miklyn,” who was caught in the act of exchanging the illegal substance valued at P26,000.
The arrest unfolded in Sitio Siga2, Brgy. Don T. Lutero East, around 7:33 a.m. During the operation, several sachets and large packs of suspected shabu, totaling more than six kilos with a standard drug price of P40.8 million, were recovered.
While Miklyn was successfully apprehended, his companion, alias “Koi-Koi,” managed to evade arrest. The duo, operating for approximately five months, sourced their supplies from Manila, establishing themselves as significant drug sources in the province and city of Iloilo.
Capt. Soliman disclosed that Koi-Koi had a previous arrest in 2018 but utilized plea bargaining in 2021. Their primary operational focus was the city and province of Iloilo, but there were reports of their drug distribution extending to Bacolod when supplies ran low.
This significant drug bust marks the largest confiscation in Western Visayas for the year, surpassing the P20-million haul in Jaro District on Nov. 9. Additionally, three high-value suspects were apprehended during the operation, contributing to a notable reduction in the supply of illegal drugs in Iloilo. The timing is crucial, especially during the festive month of December and in anticipation of the Dinagyang Festival in late January next year.
(ai/mnm)