By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in Negros Occidental has ramped up security in the province’s main ports of entry after the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) seized a Bacolod-bound shipment of suspected shabu worth P34 million.

PCG-Negros Occidental chief, Commander Joe Luviz Mercurio, said the province’s main ports of entry such as the BREDCO and Banago ports in Bacolod City, the Danao and Barcelona ports in Escalante City, and the San Carlos City port now have narcotic detection dogs deployed.

The K-9 units are continually checking all vehicles entering the said ports, with the cooperation of PDEA and the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO).

Although Mercurio admitted that they do not have enough sniffer dogs, they can still effectively utilize them alongside their other dogs which are used this time for detecting explosives.

He also revealed that they could receive more K-9 units and other enhancement assets this year originating from their training facilities in Luzon.

Earlier on Friday, March 4, PDEA agents arrested Vicente Sepuesca during a buy-bust operation in Escalante City’s Barangay Old Poblacion

Based on new information released by both PDEA and the PCG, it was confirmed that Sepuesca did originate from Tabuelan port in Cebu.

Authorities seized a total of five bags of suspected shabu valued at P34 million. It is now the largest confiscation of shabu in Western Visayas since the seizure of P20.4-million worth of shabu at the BREDCO Port in January this year. /DGB, WDJ