Sustained anti-drug operations in Western Visayas last month yielded P42.3 million worth of illegal drugs, the Police Regional Office 6 said yesterday.

Data showed that 230 police operations were conducted last month that led to the arrest of 312 suspects and confiscation of around 6,222 grams of shabu and nine grams of marijuana.

The Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) recorded the biggest confiscation with more than P9.93 million, followed by the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) and the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) with over P8.8 and P8.2 million, respectively. The rest came from other police stations’ operations.

In terms of arrests, the NOCPPO has the highest with 99, followed by the ICPO with 73 and BCPO with 61. The rest are scattered throughout various police offices and units in the region.

PRO-6 Regional Director Brigadier General Jack Wanky said the Philippine National Police will continue to run after those involved in the illegal drug trade and warned them to cease their acts or end up in jail.

In the previous month, the regionwide campaign seized P72.8 million worth of shabu and marijuana.

The biggest operation was on August 13 in Bacolod City, which led to the confiscation of P41.3 million worth of shabu.

“We are consistent in our efforts. The number of operations and arrests was almost the same,” PRO-6 spokesperson Lt. Colonel Arnel Solis said yesterday.

In a previous interview, Wanky said he agrees with the observation of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) that security when it comes to the entry of supplies in the region, particularly in ports, is “loose.”

He sighted the coastlines as among the accessible entry areas for illegal drugs.

“We are trying our best,” he said in a separate interview. (PNA)