PNP arrests 22 drug peddlers, 31 wanted criminals

More than 20 drug peddlers in different parts of Metro Manila were arrested in July while 31 most wanted criminals were apprehended last week.

The Philippine National Police said 22 suspects involved in the illegal drug trade were nabbed from July 14 to 26 as a result of its anti-crime campaign, the Oplan Lambat Sibat.

Meanwhile, the 31 most wanted criminals in Metro Manila were arrested from July 20 to 26 under the same statistics-driven program.

Dir. Generoso Cerbo Jr., chief of the Directorate for Intelligence, said they have begun phase two of the Oplan Lambat Sibat on July 6 this year, targeting 440 most wanted criminals in different cities in Metro Manila.

So far, the PNP has arrested 107 of 440 most wanted criminals, or 24 percent of its target list.

“Many of those arrested in the past week have existing cases of robbery and theft since 2012. Our different PNP units are on guard and hunting for the remaining 333 criminals,” Cerbo said.

From July 14 to 26, the PNP also apprehended 22 suspects in separate buy-bust operations all over Metro Manila.

The PNP is going after 440 illegal drug suspects in Metro Manila. Since the start of the second phase last July 6, about 76 drug peddlers or 17 percent of the target list have been apprehended.

Cerbo said they are gearing for a more aggressive implementation of the Oplan Lambat Sibat, a year after it was first implemented in 2014.

Since its implementation in June 2014, the anti-crime campaign has decreased weekly crime rates in Metro Manila by almost 60 percent, prompting the PNP to also implement it in the adjacent regions of Central Luzon and Calabarzon.