Various units of the Police Regional Office in Western Visayas (PRO-6) arrested a total of 3,004 wanted persons in the region, including those who have bounty on their heads, as a result of 2,387 operations during the first semester of 2024.

Records showed that of the total arrested, 512 were most wanted persons (MWP) and 2,492 were other wanted persons (OWP).

“The suspect belongs to the most wanted persons if the cases are heinous crimes, as well as the number of crimes committed. That is one of the parameters,” PRO-6 spokesperson Lt. Colonel Arnel Solis said in an interview.

Those classified under other wanted persons have smaller cases.

The Iloilo Police Provincial Office has the highest arrests for most wanted persons with 139, while the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office topped in terms of apprehension for OWPs, with 1,153.

Solis said of those apprehended, five have a bounty on their heads, ranging from P90,000 up to P370,000.

In the same period last year, the intensified operations also resulted in the arrest of 3,358 wanted persons consisting of 677 most wanted and 2,681 other wanted persons.

Meanwhile, the crackdown against illegal gambling resulted in the confiscation of P1 million in bet money, while 2,365 persons were arrested during 740 police operations from January to June.

The highest arrest came from the Negros Occidental Police with 1,430, equivalent to 60.38 percent of the arrests made, followed by the Bacolod City Police with 313, and the Iloilo City Police with 190.

Other apprehensions came from the Aklan Police, with 63; Antique Police, 126; Iloilo Police, 150; Capiz Police, 66; and Guimaras Police, 30 wanted persons. (PNA)