Police authorities in Western Visayas (Region 6) will investiagte deeper on the high-value drug suspect from Iloilo province who was arrested and seized from him 120 kilograms of methamphetamine (shabu) worth P816 million at Calapan Port in Oriental Mindoro last week.

“We are coordinating with our counterparts in Mimaropa for possible conduct of interview and debriefing to determine if the drugs were intended for Panay and Negros Islands,” Police Regional Office-Western Visayas Director Brigadier General Jack Wanky told reporters on Monday.

The 43-year-old male suspect, who hails from Oton, Iloilo, was apprehended during a random inspection on March 21, 2025 when a K-9 unit detected the contraband hidden in a compartment of his vehicle.

Wanky pointed out that the importance of identifying the suspect’s accomplices, suppliers and financiers, noting that the large quantity of drugs indicates the man, identified only as “Cris,” is a big-time player in regional drug networks.

“This confirms PDEA’s assessment that drug syndicates have huge supplies and are attempting to flood the market to recover,” Wanky said.

The operation was led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies.

Authorities also confiscated a sedan, mobile phone, and transport documents from the suspect.

The historic seizure reveals the country’s inter-island drug trafficking routes between Mindoro and the Western Visayas region, which includes Panay and Negros Islands, reports said.