'1st quarter storm' nets 142 as govt drug busts score over P1.1M worth of drugs
Over P1 million worth of illegal drugs have been kept off the streets of Iloilo City in drug busts and raids of government agents under the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
As such, 142 arrests were also made in a three-month period at the start of this year with 97 total PDEA operations. In a report, The News Today (TNT) further gathered specifics that disclosed the arrests of 99 suspected drug pushers and 43 users. This alongside continued government raids in known drug dens and the capture of 'customers' now charged for visiting said drug dens. Statistics remain unofficial yet for weeks now, "visiting drug dens" recorded a significant high.
The illegal drugs confiscated are estimated to be 267.37 grams of Shabu otherwise known as "poor man's cocaine" and 744 grams of dried marijuana leaves. On record was P24,604 of confiscated drug money and 14 mobile phones.
To date, a total of 571 cases were also filed, 2,945 of which await resolution in Court and five only thus far dismissed. Elsewhere in the region, ten drug suspects are in jail courtesy of PDEA operations.
With the accomplishment just disclosed, yet another drug bust was reported in Barangay Hipodromo, Iloilo City proper area. The operation resulted to the arrest of four suspects said to have been caught in the act of having a pot session.
Authorities identified the four as Rene Mapa alias Rentoy, his wife Rebecca and pals Francisco Tan and a certain Inocencio. The arrest was made after agents sent in a poseur-buyer for P200 worth of Shabu from alias Rentoy.
Reached for reaction, Rentoy denied the accusations while maintaining innocence on the P3,500 worth of Shabu found inside his house and other drug paraphernalia.
The four remain in custody and detention of Police Precinct 1 lock-up cell pending the proper disposition of the cases against them.