The war on drugs waged since July last year has been gaining ground in this town, a known transshipment point of prohibited drugs from Maguindanao and Bukidnon provinces and Cagayan de Oro City, the town mayor said.
Mayor Herlo Guzman, Jr. also denied reports that a shabu laboratory exists in his town.
Kabacan, with a population of 82,000 as of the 2015 census, is the crossroad of highways going to Bukidnon, Maguindanao and North Cotabato, thus illegal drugs are dropped here from the surrounding provinces, the mayor said.
Guzman said the intensified and massive police and military anti-drug operations led to the arrest of 82 individuals, including non-residents, since last year.
The latest successful operation was carried out Monday with the recovery of PHP75,000 worth of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu and the arrest of nine suspected drug peddlers and users.
On April 30, close to PHP1 million worth of suspected shabu was also seized by joint anti-narcotics operatives and police in the town.
Kabacan serves as the “bagsakan” (trading place) of shabu from northern Mindanao, Central Mindanao and autonomous Muslim region before these are distributed to other areas, including the cities of Davao, Digos and General Santos.
Guzman vowed that his administration will continue to collaborate with the police and Army to cleanse the town of illegal drugs.
While he vowed to enforce the law at all cost, Guzman appealed to drug personalities to peacefully surrender and be rehabilitated to become productive citizens.
Guzman attributed the success of the anti-drug drive to the cooperation of residents, who provided tips to law enforcers involving drug personalities.
“Continue helping authorities, we are doing it for the sake of our children, your children,” he urged residents.
