Bacolod: Anti-drug operatives of Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) seized 1.842 kg. of shabu worth PHP12.525 million and arrested nine persons in five separate buy-busts over the weekend, a police report on Sunday showed. Each gram of shabu has a standard drug price of PHP6,800.

According to Philippines News Agency, the City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) scored the biggest haul after it recovered 1.535 kgs. of shabu valued at PHP10.438 million from five persons in a residence at Hermelinda Homes Subdivision in Barangay Mansilingan Saturday night. Police identified the primary suspect as alias 'Linda' Verde, 42, who was apprehended together with companions 'Cheryl', 36, and 'Richard', 34, of Barangay Handumanan, and 'John' and 'Angelo', both 23, of Barangay Mansilingan.

At past 8:30 p.m., an undercover police officer bought a sachet of shabu worth PHP20,000 from Verde at the house on Raymundo Avenue. The drug items included six heat-sealed plastic sachets and three heat-sealed plastic bags of shabu. Charges for violation of Section 5 (sale of dangerous drugs) and Section 11 (possession of dangerous drugs) of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002) are being readied against Verde, based on the initial police report.

Meanwhile, the BCPO reported the recovery of another 307 grams of shabu worth PHP2.087 million and the arrest of four persons in various operations conducted by personnel of Police Stations 2, 5, 6, and 10 on Saturday and Sunday. The Saturday night haul in Barangay Mansilingan was among the largest in a series of major anti-drug operations in the city since last month.

On May 18 alone, the BCPO recovered 4.6 kg. of shabu worth an estimated PHP31.28 million in three separate buy-busts. In one of the three operations, the CDEU seized about 2.5 kg. of shabu worth PHP17 million found in the possession of a lone suspect at Country Homes Subdivision, Barangay Estefania.