Authorities arrested a 30‑year‑old waiter and are pursuing a businessman after a drug delivery operation in Barangay 22, Nagbacalan, Paoay, yielded about 10 grams of suspected shabu valued at ₱68,000 on Monday, Oct. 13.
The operation, held from 4:00 p.m. to 6:26 p.m., was a joint effort by the Paoay Municipal Police Station under Police Capt. Jackson Sugayen, the Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU‑INPPO), Provincial Intelligence Unit (PIU), Regional Intelligence Division–PRO1, Maritime Police, and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency–Region 1 (PDEA‑RO1).
Police identified the arrested suspect as a waiter from Barangay Nagbacalan, while the businessman, also from Paoay, is being sought for questioning in connection with the delivery. Both are classified by authorities as high‑value individuals under the anti‑drug campaign.
Recovered from the arrested suspect were two heat‑sealed transparent plastic sachets containing about 10 grams of suspected shabu, one cellphone, and an empty Marlboro cigarette pack believed used as a container for the substance.
The evidence was inventoried and marked on site in the presence of insulating witnesses, and the entire operation was recorded using two alternative recording devices, in full compliance with Republic Act 9165’s chain‑of‑custody requirements.
According to police sources, the operation was launched after intelligence reports revealed the suspects’ plan to deliver illegal drugs within Paoay.
“They were supposed to deliver the shabu that afternoon, but the businessman managed to leave before the arrest was made,” a police source told Daily Tribune.
Police clarified that the businessman remains a suspect under active investigation, not a fugitive, while follow‑up operations are ongoing.
Investigators confirmed the same businessman was previously involved in a shooting incident outside Chilluxe Resto Bar in Laoag City on Sept. 12, 2024. In that case, police responded to reports of gunfire and arrested the businessman after he allegedly fired his pistol during a confrontation with a 25‑year‑old customer identified as Stephen Rapisora of Barangay San Lorenzo. The suspect did not possess a Permit to Carry Firearms Outside Residence (PTCFOR) and was found with a .40‑caliber Armscor pistol and ammunition. His License to Own and Possess Firearms (LTOPF) had expired in January 2023.
The Ilocos Norte Provincial Forensic Unit recovered two fired cartridge cases and one live round at the scene.
Authorities are preparing documentation to file a case for violation of Section 5, Article II of Republic Act 9165 before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor at the Marcos Hall of Justice in Laoag City.
