Liquid marijuana distributed in Iloilo City and other parts of Panay is being shipped from Luzon through legitimate logistics companies, according to the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO).
Police Colonel Wilbert Parilla, ICPO director, said police had received information about the presence of liquid marijuana in the city for several months but initially prioritized operations against shabu, which he described as the more commonly used illegal drug.
On September 21, personnel of Iloilo City Police Station 4, led by Police Capt. Ryan Christ Inot, recovered 84 grams of dried marijuana, four kush items and three vape cartridges containing liquid marijuana during an operation.
Police also arrested a 21-year-old suspect identified by the alias “Jan2,” a former student whom authorities classified as a high-value individual. Investigators said the suspect was allegedly targeting students as customers.
Parilla said authorities were concerned about the reported spread of liquid marijuana, particularly among students, with distribution reaching not only Iloilo City but other areas of Panay.
He said transactions were conducted online using coded communications before the products were shipped to Western Visayas through logistics companies.
Authorities are now examining the procedures used by these firms in accepting and delivering packages.
Police are also monitoring online transactions, dead-drop arrangements in which drugs are left at designated locations for customers to retrieve, and shipments handled by delivery riders who may have no knowledge of the illegal contents.
Parilla said liquid marijuana poses an enforcement challenge because it can be consumed through vaping, potentially making its use less noticeable.
Authorities have yet to confirm the existence of a laboratory producing liquid marijuana in Iloilo City, with recovered products believed to have originated elsewhere, he added.
Aside from liquid marijuana, police are also monitoring the distribution of dried marijuana, kush and injectable substances reportedly worth more than P12,000, according to Parilla.
The police director said cyber patrol operations are continuing to monitor suspected illegal drug activities online.
Parilla urged parents, teachers and other members of the public to remain vigilant, particularly in monitoring young people and students, and to report information about suspected illegal drug use or distribution to authorities.IMT
