Police authorities arrested a suspected high-value drug peddler and seized around 3,000 grams of suspected shabu worth P20.4 million during a dawn buy-bust operation in Zamboanga City on Sunday.

P/Col. Diomarie S. Albarico, Commander of the Special Operations Unit (SOU) in Zamboanga Peninsula, said combined forces from multiple police units conducted the sting at General Vicente Alvarez Street in Barangay Zone 4 around 12:15 AM.

The operation led to the arrest of 41-year-old Nelson Hibbul Lamon, a resident of Nazareth Drive in Barangay San Jose Cawa-Cawa. Lamon, a habal-habal driver by trade, is reportedly one of the police’s high-value targets.

Confiscated from Lamon were three large plastic zip-lock bags containing the suspected illegal substance, concealed in newspapers and placed inside a shopping bag. Authorities also recovered a genuine P1,000 bill atop 23 bundles of boodle money used in the buy-bust transaction, a white Samsung keypad phone, and a violet eco bag holding the marked money.

The operation was carried out by SOU-9 in coordination with the Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO) Station 11, 1st Zamboanga City Mobile Force Company, ZCPO Drug Enforcement Unit, Regional Drug Enforcement Unit 9, and the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 9.

Lamon is now under temporary detention at ZCPO PS 11, while all seized evidence is being processed by SOU-9 for proper disposition.