MALASIQUI, Pangasinan – The Ilocos Police Regional Office (PRO-1) said on Wednesday that a total of 82 drug personalities have either been arrested or surrendered in the region in February.
In an interview, PRO-1 information officer Capt. Karol Elizabeth Baloco said 60 arrests were made in 54 operations conducted last month, while 22 yielded to authorities during the one-month period.
She said the operations also yielded 101.26 grams of shabu and 330 grams marijuana with a combined standard drug value of PHP728,165.
Baloco said the arrests and the surrender were the result of "the PRO-1’s persistent drug-clearing operations."
She added that PRO-1 has been proactive in its campaign against illegal drugs, including the demand reduction aspect as it partnered with different national government agencies and other sectors to address the illegal drug problem in the region.
The Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan (BIDA) program of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, which was attended by some 2,000 individuals from the different sectors, was launched in the region on Feb. 3.
The program aims to raise awareness and encourage participation from all sectors of the community in drug-demand reduction and rehabilitation, Baloco said.
“The PRO-1 believes that our coordinated and consistent efforts on illegal drug demand and supply reduction will serve as the government bedrock of our country’s peace and development,” Baloco said.
Meanwhile, the PRO-1 recorded 64 Index Crimes in February, which is 37 percent lower compared to 101 in the same period last year based on the Peace and Order Indicator.
Index crimes are crimes that are serious in nature and which occur with sufficient frequency, she said.
“This includes the crime of murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, robbery, theft, and carjacking,” she added.
The PRO-1 has also confiscated 146 small firearms and light weapons and apprehended 20 individuals in the campaign against loose firearms. (PNA)
