Eight drug suspects, including a high-value target, were arrested in a series of anti-narcotics operations across Oriental Mindoro province between January 13-20, police said Wednesday.

The operations, conducted in multiple municipalities including Roxas, Gloria, Victoria, and Calapan City, yielded 13.02 grams of suspected methamphetamine, also known as shabu, worth P88,573, according to Provincial Police Director Colonel Edison Revita.

In Roxas town, police arrested two suspects on January 16, including a high-value target known as “Aping.” A subsequent raid on January 20 led to the arrest of another suspect found in possession of 28 sachets of suspected methamphetamine.

The Victoria operation on January 18 resulted in three arrests, while separate buy-bust operations in Gloria and Calapan City netted additional suspects.

One suspect in Calapan faces additional charges for illegal possession of an unlicensed .38 caliber revolver during the election gun ban period.

Police Captain Ann Michell Selda said the operations were conducted in coordination with multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and National Bureau of Investigation.

The raids are part of Enhanced Managing Police Operations (EMPO), a PNP program that has contributed to a decrease in crime rates from 1,943 incidents in 2023 to 1,596 in 2024, according to police statistics.

Oriental Mindoro Police was recently recognized as “Outstanding Provincial Police Office of the Year” during the 29th Police Community Relations Month celebration in July 2024.