The Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO) reported that it seized about P95.6 million worth of the illegal drug shabu in various police operations in 2023.
This is a significant increase from the previous year, when the BPPO confiscated P26 million worth of shabu.
The report was presented by BPPO Provincial Director PCol. Lorenzo Batuan during the joint meeting of the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) and Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC) led by Governor Aris Aumentado at the New Capitol on January 11, 2024.
According to PCol. Batuan, BPPO conducted 630 anti-illegal drug operations from January 1 to December 31, 2023, resulting in the arrest of 682 suspects and the seizure of 14,060.24 grams of shabu and 21 grams of marijuana.
Of the arrested suspects, 83 were classified as High Value Individuals (HVI), 441 as Street Level Individuals (SLI) who are listed in the PNP database, and 158 as SLI who are not listed.
In comparison, BPPO carried out 399 anti-illegal drug operations from January 1 to December 31, 2022, leading to the arrest of 448 suspects and the seizure of 3,825.68 grams of shabu and 0.30 grams of marijuana.
Of the arrested suspects, 51 were HVI, 312 were SLI listed, and 85 were SLI not listed.
PCol. Batuan attributed the success of the anti-drug campaign to the strong support of Governor Aumentado, who has been vocal in his advocacy against illegal drugs. He also commended the efforts of the BPPO personnel and the cooperation of the community in reporting drug-related activities.
Batuan vowed to continue the fight against illegal drugs and urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious persons or activities to the nearest police station.