Three persons were arrested in separate buy-bust operations in Bangui and Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, on August 12, resulting in the seizure of a combined 12.6 grams of suspected shabu, police said.

In Bangui, a 47-year-old driver and temporary resident of the town was arrested at 8:17 p.m. during a buy-bust operation conducted by the Bangui Municipal Police Station as lead unit, together with the Police Intelligence Unit, Regional Intelligence Division, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Provincial Police Drug Enforcement Unit, 101st Maneuver Company, Regional Mobile Force Battalion 1 and Dumalneg Municipal Police Station.

Police said the operation, conducted in coordination with PDEA Regional Office 1, resulted in the recovery of four heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets containing one gram of suspected shabu, with an estimated standard drug price of P6,800.

Authorities also recovered a genuine P1,000 bill used as buy-bust money, a genuine P500 bill, a small black pouch, a folded knife, a pink LTO card holder containing a driver’s license and National ID, a BDO ATM card and an open transparent plastic sachet.

The evidence was marked and inventoried at the scene in the presence of the mandatory witnesses and the suspect, police said.

Meanwhile, two men were arrested at 9:13 p.m. in a separate buy-bust operation in Laoag City.

The operation was led by the Laoag City Police Station, with personnel from the Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit and Police Intelligence Unit of the Ilocos Norte Police Provincial Office, Regional Intelligence Division, Regional Intelligence Unit, Regional Drug Enforcement Unit 1, PDEA Ilocos Norte, 101st Maneuver Company, Regional Mobile Force Battalion 1 and other participating units, in coordination with PDEA Regional Office 1.

The suspects were identified as a 22-year-old man, a native of Pasuquin and currently residing in Laoag City, and a 35-year-old Laoag resident whom police classified as a newly identified drug personality.

Police said nine heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets containing 11.6 grams of suspected shabu, with a stated standard drug price of P78,880, were recovered during the operation.

Also seized were a black sling bag, an open transparent plastic sachet, a black power bank, two live caliber .380 ammunition, a caliber .380 magazine containing two additional live rounds, a genuine P1,000 buy-bust bill and a gray Tecno Camon cellphone with a black casing.

The recovered evidence was marked and inventoried at the scene in the presence of the mandatory witnesses and the two suspects.

The three arrested persons and the seized items were placed under police custody for documentation and the filing of appropriate charges.