Police trace Iloilo liquid marijuana supply to Luzon

ILOILO CITY — Liquid marijuana distributed in Iloilo City and other parts of Panay is being shipped from Luzon through legitimate logistics companies, Iloilo City Police Office Director Police Col. Wilbert Parilla said.

Parilla said police had been receiving information about the presence of liquid marijuana in the city for several months but initially focused their efforts on shabu, which remains more widely used.

On 21 September, the ICPS 4, led by Police Capt. Ryan Christ Inot, recovered 84 grams of dried marijuana, four pieces of kush and three vape cartridges containing liquid marijuana during an operation that resulted in the arrest of a 21-year-old suspect identified by the alias “Jan2.”

The suspect, a former student whom police classified as a high-value individual, allegedly targeted students as customers.

Parilla said authorities were concerned about the reported increase in liquid marijuana use, particularly among students, as distribution had also reached other areas of Panay.

He said transactions were arranged online using coded communications before the products were shipped to Western Visayas through logistics companies. Authorities are now examining the procedures these companies follow when accepting and delivering packages.

Police are also concerned that liquid marijuana can be consumed through vape devices, making it difficult for others to immediately recognize that the user is inhaling marijuana.

Aside from liquid marijuana, dried marijuana and kush, a hybrid variety of cannabis, are also circulating in Panay, Parilla said. Authorities have likewise monitored injectable substances reportedly costing more than P12,000.

Parilla said authorities had yet to confirm the presence of a laboratory producing liquid marijuana in Iloilo City, as the products identified so far were believed to have originated elsewhere.

Police are monitoring online transactions and other distribution methods, including “dead drops,” in which drugs are left at a designated location for customers to retrieve. Authorities are also looking into deliveries made through riders who may have no knowledge of the illegal contents of the packages.

Cyber patrolling continues to track suspected illegal drug activities online.

Parilla urged parents, teachers and other members of the community to closely monitor young people and students and immediately report information related to illegal drug use or sales to authorities.