Police Regional Office-Soccsksargen Director Brig. Gen. Arnold Ardiente (File photo courtesy of PRO-12)
KORONADAL CITY – The Police Regional Office in Soccsksargen (PRO-12) reported significant accomplishments during its intensified Simultaneous Anti-Criminality Law Enforcement Operations (SACLEO) conducted across the region on Wednesday.
“The regionwide operations resulted in the service of 44 arrest warrants and the apprehension of 41 wanted persons, including 16 most wanted persons – eight at the regional level, four at the provincial level, and four at the city and municipal levels,” Brig. Gen. Arnold Ardiente, PRO-12 regional director, said in his report released on Thursday.
Twenty-five other wanted persons were also apprehended.
In the anti-drug campaign, Ardiente said the PRO-12 field units conducted 29 operations, resulting in the arrest of 24 drug suspects and the seizure of suspected shabu valued at about PHP1.18 million.
The confiscated illegal drugs were turned over to the Regional Forensic Unit 12 for examination.
Authorities also intensified operations against loose firearms, conducting 20 operations that resulted in the arrest of one person for possession of an unlicensed gun. A total of 24 assorted firearms were confiscated and surrendered to the police.
These included four confiscated small arms, 18 surrendered unlicensed firearms, and two firearms deposited for safekeeping.
Additionally, the police’s 15 anti-smuggling operations resulted in 7 arrests and the confiscation of 22 reams and 68 packs of smuggled cigarettes valued at PHP33,900. Four vehicles were also impounded.
Ardiente commended the police units for their coordinated operations and emphasized that law enforcement efforts to combat crime in the region will continue with support from local communities.
“We will continue to intensify our law enforcement operations against all forms of crime. There will be no letup in our campaign to make Region 12 safer for everyone,” he said.
The Soccsksargen Region includes the provinces of South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and the cities of Kidapawan, Tacurong, Koronadal, and General Santos City. (PNA)