MCPO lodges 328 drug cases in court
The Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) has filed 328 drug-related cases with the Regional Trial Court in the first four months of the year.
The MCPO had 30 arrests in January, 49 in February, 164 for March and 85 drug-related arrests in April.
Of these arrests, the authorities have recovered 399 grams of suspected shabu, four grams of marijuana and 10 firearms.
So far, no high-value targets were nabbed. Most of the arrests netted street level drug users, who are identified during their operations and from the watchlist.
The MCPO, who ranked second with a rating of 46.46 among the Provincial and City Offices in Central Visayas in the PNP Anti-illegal Drug Campaign Plan “Double Barrel: Reloaded,” aims to maintain this achievement through intensifying their operations.
The seven stations in Mandaue, including an intelligence branch, in collaboration with the 27 Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils, have been monitoring to get rid of illegal drug activities in the city.
Chief Inspector Mercy Villaro, city police information officer, said they are targeting those surrenderers in their watchlist, believing that some of them are continuously doing the illegal activity.
During the start of Oplan Tokhang last 2016, Mandaue City had the most number of drug surrenderers with about 6,000.
Villaro said that, aside from those who were arrested, some of the surrenderers are in community rehabilitation centers, while some are still to be located.
The MCPO is looking forward to make the city a drug-free city, despite the lack of personnel especially in the Station Drug Enforcement Unit. The current ratio is one policeman to every 800 residents.
“Pro-active ang mga police sa Mandaue na amoa jud na silang (surrenderers in their watchlist) gigukod na ma-aresto jud,” Villaro said.