The Eastern Police District (EPD) on Sunday said it intensified its operations against criminal elements that led to the arrest of 179 people in just one week from March 8 to 14.
Law enforcement activities in the said period also resulted in the confiscation of illegal drugs and firearms.
Of the individuals arrested, 58 were classified as ‘wanted,’ 11 listed under the ‘top most wanted,’ 6 identified as ‘most wanted,’ and 41 others were hunted for various crimes.
In the campaign against illegal drugs, the police conducted 41 operations where 61 drug personalities were caught; 267.35 grams of shabu and 66.2 grams of marijuana were also seized, including other drug paraphernalia worth P1,826,464.00.
Meanwhile, in the campaign against illegal gambling, 59 individuals were arrested and P11,365.00 bet money was confiscated in 31 operations conducted by the police.
In connection with the upcoming National and Local Elections (NLE) 2025, the police have further intensified their Commission on Elections (Comelec) checkpoint throughout Metro East.
One person was arrested for violating the election gun ban; five other guns were turned over to the police and are now in the custody of the relevant office.
“Our police force continues to fight and fulfill its duty to enforce the law for the safety, order and peace of our four cities,” said EPD chief Col. Villamor Tuliao.
“I salute our police force for the successful one-week operation that resulted in the arrest of lawbreakers. This reflects that despite the problems left and right in our society, we have remained committed to fulfilling our duty with dedication and integrity for the people,” he added.