Police seized about 3.49 kilos of shabu worth P23.752 million from 445 drug suspects during simultaneous anti-illegal drug operations in Metro Manila on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Police Brigadier General Debold Sinas, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief, said the drug busts were part of their Simultaneous Enhanced Managing Police Operations (SEMPO) that were conducted from 12 a.m. of December 24 to 12 a.m. of December 26 in the entire metro.
Of the arrested, Sinas said four were high-value targets (HVTs) while 102 others were not listed in the police’s drug list.
The remaining 339 arrested suspects were included in the watch lists of the police and in the barangays.
Aside from the crystal meth, police also recovered 7.2 kilos of marijuana with an estimated street value of P864,835.
The police operations were conducted by the five police districts in Metro Manila.
Sinas said the metro police has shifted its anti-illegal drug operations against big-time suppliers and pushers, hence, the seizure of millions worth of “shabu” in two days.
“Kung mapansin n’yo, 23 kilos ang nawala sa market. Bihira na ang sachet-sachet na huli naming,” he said in a press briefing at the Kamuning Police Station (PS-10) of QCPD.
“Shabu at marijuana pa rin ang problema natin dito sa Metro Manila,” he added.
Aside from the drug confiscations, the SEMPO also resulted in the arrest of 34 persons who were in possession of loose firearms.
The police also launched a metro-wide manhunt of wanted persons where 181 were arrested, eight of whom were included in the Top 10 Most Wanted Persons in various cities and in the municipality of Pateros.
“We aim to eradicate the proliferation of illegal drugs by strengthening and revitalizing our units involved in law enforcement,” Sinas said. (Martin Sadongdong)
