Close to 500 drug suspects fall in Davao Region

DAVAO CITY—Close to 500 suspected drug personalities were either arrested or neutralized in buy-bust operations around Region 11 (Davao Region) since January this year.

A report from the Police Regional Office-11 (PRO-11) showed that 16 drug personalities have been neutralized while 429 others were arrested in buy-bust operations since January.

Police Major Jason Baria, PRO-11 spokesperson, said a total of 291 operations resulted in the arrest of 429 persons. Of the number, 27 were in the police anti-drug watch-list.

Baria said 16 drug personalities were also killed after they fought it out with the operatives during the operation.

Baria said the latest suspect to be arrested was Vivien Fabana Austria, who was collared in Malvar Street here on Monday.

Austria of Mati City, Davao Oriental, was arrested after she allegedly sold a sachet of shabu to a police poseur buyer. She yielded a sachet of shabu worth PHP2,000, police said. (PNA)