SURIGAO CITY (October 15) – At least 76 people were arrested in Surigao del Norte during a three-day anti-crime sweep from Oct. 11 to 13, police said Tuesday.
Provincial police director Col. Warren Dablo said the arrests included 12 wanted persons, one of them the province’s most wanted. Thirteen drug suspects were also caught, with 24.01 grams of suspected shabu worth PHP163,306 seized.
Police also arrested 45 for illegal fishing, confiscating nearly 200 kg of marine products, and seized over 500 board feet of illegal lumber in three separate operations. Seven loose firearms were surrendered, and four were arrested for illegal gambling.
Dablo said the intensified crackdown is expected to ease local crime concerns, disrupt illegal fishing activities affecting small fishers, and strengthen community-police coordination in the short term.
