Cagayan de Oro: Anti-drug police operations across Northern Mindanao have led to the seizure of over PHP1.9 million worth of illegal drugs in the past week, while 17 additional barangays were declared "drug-cleared" in the region, a police official reported on Friday.

According to Philippines News Agency, Brigadier General Jaysen de Guzman, director of the Police Regional Office in Northern Mindanao (PRO-10), credited the sustained anti-illegal drug efforts to strong inter-agency collaboration and active community involvement. De Guzman emphasized the importance of intensifying operations and providing support to the remaining affected areas to maintain progress and achieve a fully drug-cleared status for the entire region.

From April 18 to 24, PRO-10 conducted 42 operations, resulting in the arrest of 51 individuals and the confiscation of 284.622 grams of shabu and 55 grams of marijuana, with a total estimated value of PHP1.94 million. During the same period, police also apprehended suspects and seized smuggled cigarettes valued at PHP2.1 million, in addition to detaining individuals for violations related to illegal gambling and mining.

In a related development, the Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing has declared another 17 barangays in the provinces of Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental, and Misamis Occidental as officially 'drug-cleared.' Previously, out of the 2,022 barangays in Northern Mindanao, 1,866 were identified as drug-affected. Through ongoing efforts, PRO-10 and other law enforcement agencies have now cleared 1,575 barangays of illegal drugs, leaving 291 still undergoing focused operations.