A 39-year-old event decorator was arrested in a buy-bust operation in San Esteban, Ilocos Sur, on Wednesday, 12 August, with authorities recovering P4,080 worth of suspected shabu.

Police identified the suspect only as alias “M,” a resident of Candon City.

The San Esteban Municipal Police Station led the operation with the Ilocos Sur Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit, 103rd Regional Mobile Force Battalion 1 and MLET-Sta. Cruz, in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Regional Office 1.

Authorities said they recovered a heat-sealed plastic sachet containing about 0.6 gram of suspected shabu, with a standard drug price of P4,080.

Police also seized the P500 buy-bust money, boodle money, a motorcycle, cellphone, wallet, identification cards, cash and other personal belongings.

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

The suspect and seized items were placed under police custody for proper disposition and the filing of appropriate charges.