293 drug high-value targets nabbed in 1 year: NCRPO

Based on its data, NCRPO head, Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said the intensified campaign against HVTs through intelligence-driven operations has already accounted for a total of 801 HVTs out of the 854 suspects on its watchlist. (File Photo: PIO NCRPO/Facebook)

MANILA — The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has arrested 293 drug suspects who are considered high-value targets (HVTs) from June 2018 to June 2019, an official said Monday.

Based on its data, NCRPO head, Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said the intensified campaign against HVTs through intelligence-driven operations has already accounted for a total of 801 HVTs out of the 854 suspects on its watchlist.

“There were 200 voluntarily turned themselves in to the authorities while 293 were arrested during the conduct of intel-driven operations while 25 personalities who resisted the arrest and chose to engage with our operatives and eventually were killed in police operations,” Eleazar said.

“There are also 84 cases of homicide under investigation and 166 HVTs are still at large and being tracked by our operatives on the ground with the help of BINs (Barangay Intelligence Networks) and other members of the intelligence network,” he added.

He said the PNP’s anti- illegal drugs drive, via the Oplan Double Barrel, gave the Regional Investigation Division (RID)-NCRPO a go-signal to eradicate the threat brought by drug personalities – protectors, distributors, smuggling syndicates who were identified as HVTs.

“These personalities may be hidden inside the PNP ranks and other law enforcement agencies. They may also be government officials, members of the academe, businessmen and other high-profile personalities,” Eleazar said.

He said it has been almost three years since the government launched the anti-illegal drugs campaign to clear drug-affected barangays, improve public safety and reduce crime.

He said as of June 2019, a total of 39,582 anti-illegal drug operations have been conducted that resulted in the arrest of 61,068 drug users and 19,368, drug pushers while 235,458 drug personalities who came forward and surrendered themselves.

“There is a 369.6 percent increase in the arrest of people who use and sell drugs, using June 2016 as baseline and the implementation of the war on drugs has resulted in a decrease of 58 percent in crime volume for the first 35 months of this administration versus the last 35 months of the previous administration,” Eleazar noted.