CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Illegal drugs and unlicensed firearms were the top arrests at the end of September, the Police Regional Office in Northern Mindanao (PRO-10) reported on October 2

Brig. Gen. Lawrence Coop, PRO-10 director, said the Simultaneous Anti-Criminality and Law Enforcement Operations (SACLEO) focused on various key areas of criminality, including the campaign against illegal drugs, and loose firearms. 

“The success of this operation serves as a clear message that the police, along with the support of the community and other agencies, will continue to prioritize public safety and combat criminal activities relentlessly,” Coop said in the report.

The PRO-10 report said the region-wide SACLEO netted 63 suspects, eight of whom belong to the list of most wanted persons.

Likewise, PRO-10 field units carried out 14 buy-bust operations, resulting in the seizure of illegal drugs worth PHP157,000.

Six suspects were caught carrying illegal firearms including several drug suspects.

Meanwhile, a 59-year-old male was arrested in Salay, Misamis Oriental, for violating Republic Act 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, for carrying a shotgun.

His arrest was a result of the gun ban imposed by the Commission on Election in preparation for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan on Oct. 30. (Nef Luczon/PNA)