Taguig City government netted at least 300 individuals during its two months operations against illegal drugs and illegal gambling.
About 300 individuals were arrested in Taguig City as part of the two months intensified operations against criminality.
The city government said that more than 150 operations were conducted against illegal drugs and illegal gambling in connection with the Taguig's Philippine National Police and the local government's "serious fight versus criminality in the city" for the period of December 2022 to January 2023.
"The operations include the implementation of search warrants, buy-bust operations, and weekly conduct of one-time big time (OTBT) operations that led to the arrest of 193 individuals and the seizure of P31 million worth of illegal drugs," the City of Taguig said in a statement.
In December 2022, during the 4th Interim Full Council Meeting of the Metro Manila Peace and Order Council, Taguig City Chief of Police PCol Robert Baesa received the Medalya ng Kadakilaan Award for his exemplary performance as supervisor during the Oplan Sita operation in Barangay Maharlika which led to the arrest of Basser Gugo Utto of the Utto Criminal Group and Normina Paleg Datuan, and the seizure of 30 kilograms of shabu worth P20.4 million.
The city has consistently campaigned against illegal drugs and has committed to purging the city of drug peddlers, including those from the Tiñga Drug Syndicate, and putting them behind bars.
It added that just recently, another member of the Tiñga Drug Syndicate, Bernardo Tiñga, was arrested by the Taguig City Police on P. Mariano Street in Barangay Ususan where more than P95,000 worth of shabu and illegal firearms seized from his possession.
In 2016, Joel Tiñga was sentenced to reclusion perpetua for selling illegal drugs.
Another member of the syndicate, Elisa "Ely" Tiñga, was meted out the same punishment in February 2017. "She was at that time the third most wanted person in the list of illegal drug personalities. She was also the seventh member of the Tiñga Drug Syndicate to be arrested and jailed," the statement said.
In 2020, a buy bust operation led to the seizure of over P20 million worth of shabu and resulted in the arrest of Patrick Ace Tiñga.
The same rigorous operations against illegal gambling were also carried out in Taguig, which resulted in the arrest of 117 individuals and confiscation of over P19,000 bet money.
According to Taguig government, in order to continue protecting the city and all its citizens, the Taguig City Police have vowed to continue carrying intensified policies and campaigns, not just against illegal drugs and gambling, but against all crimes.
Tags: #TaguigCity, #IllegalDrugs, #Illegalgambling