CAMP ALAGAR, Cagayan de Oro City – In a sustained effort to curb criminal activities, the Police Regional Office 10 (PRO10) apprehended 131 individuals in a series of law enforcement operations conducted from February 13 to 19, 2025, across Northern Mindanao.
Among these, the anti-illegal drug campaign yielded significant results, with 59 operations leading to the arrest of 59 individuals and the confiscation of 394.491 grams of shabu valued at PhP2,682,551.00. Other operations targeted illegal gambling, wanted persons, loose firearms, and smuggling activities, showcasing a broad crackdown on criminal elements.
Authorities also executed seven anti-illegal gambling operations, resulting in the apprehension of 11 individuals and the confiscation of PhP164,231.00 worth of gambling paraphernalia. In the pursuit of wanted persons, 47 individuals were arrested, including 13 categorized as Most Wanted and 34 classified as Other Wanted Persons. Meanwhile, in efforts to curb loose firearms, six operations led to the arrest of three individuals and the recovery of eight small arms, with additional house visits under the Revitalized Katok program resulting in the voluntary surrender of one firearm for safekeeping.
Additionally, in anti-smuggling operations, PRO10 confiscated PhP5,664,150.00 worth of smuggled cigarettes across four successful operations.
PBGEN Jaysen C. De Guzman, Regional Director of PRO10, commended his personnel for their dedication, urging the public to continue cooperating with law enforcement agencies by reporting suspicious activities. “Patuloy po ang inyong kapulisan na paigtingin ang kampanya laban sa kriminalidad sa buong rehiyon. Hinihikayat ko po ang lahat na ipagbigay-alam ang mga kahina-hinalang gawain o indibidwal sa inyong komunidad upang agarang maaksyunan at maiwasan ang anumang banta sa kapayapaan at kaayusan,” he said.
The Real Drug Battle Lies Beyond Street-Level Busts
While the recent police operations have resulted in the capture of street-level offenders and a considerable amount of illegal drugs, the real issue remains unresolved—where are these drugs coming from? Time and again, law enforcement authorities manage to apprehend small-time pushers, yet the large-scale suppliers and syndicates continue to operate with seeming impunity.
The pattern is clear: street-level drug traders are arrested, but the supply chain remains intact. The persistence of illegal drugs in communities suggests that the real masterminds behind the trade are still at large, operating beyond the reach of these routine crackdowns. Without disrupting the major sources—whether domestic manufacturers, high-level distributors, or international smugglers—the cycle of drug proliferation will continue.
The same can be said for other criminal activities like illegal gambling and smuggling. While police forces make notable arrests, the deeper networks financing and profiting from these operations remain untouched. Without decisive action targeting these higher echelons, the authorities will always be playing catch-up rather than eliminating the problem at its core.
To truly dismantle the illegal drug trade, there needs to be a stronger push for intelligence-driven operations that target the root suppliers, not just the distributors on the streets. The challenge remains: will the authorities go beyond the easy arrests and take on the real war against illegal drugs, or will they remain stuck in the cycle of capturing only the expendable players while the masterminds continue to thrive?
