Police arrested a 56-year-old tricycle driver and confiscated 16 grams of suspected marijuana leaves during a buy-bust operation in San Esteban, Ilocos Sur, on 11 September 2026.

The operation was conducted at around 10:07 AM by personnel of the San Esteban Municipal Police Station (MPS), Ilocos Sur Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (ISPDEU) and the 103rd Maneuver Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 1 (RMFB1), in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Regional Office 1 (PDEA RO1).

Police identified the suspect as a 56-year-old married tricycle driver and resident of Barangay Lintic, Banayoyo, Ilocos Sur.

Police confiscated one medium-sized transparent plastic ziplock bag containing 16 grams of suspected marijuana leaves with an estimated standard drug price (SDP) of P1,920.

Also recovered were a genuine P500 bill used as buy-bust money, two P500 boodle bills bearing the same serial number, a black sling bag, an OPPO cellular phone and a Motorstar motorcycle.

Meanwhile, a separate buy-bust operation in Sto. Domingo, Ilocos Sur, resulted in the arrest of a 24-year-old man and the confiscation of 0.10 gram of suspected shabu.

The operation was conducted by personnel of the Sto. Domingo MPS.

The suspect, identified as a 24-year-old single resident of Sto. Domingo, was arrested after the consummation of the drug transaction.

Police said the suspect was a cohort of the primary subject of the operation, who managed to escape after noticing that the buyer was a police officer.

Recovered from the arrested suspect was one heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet containing 0.10 gram of suspected shabu, with an SDP of P680.

Police also recovered a P1,000 bill used as buy-bust money, a black Infinity smartphone, an OPPO touchscreen cellphone and a black Yamaha Mio motorcycle.

The inventory and marking of the confiscated items in both operations were conducted on-site in the presence of the mandatory witnesses and the arrested suspects, in accordance with legal procedures.

The suspects and confiscated evidence were turned over to the appropriate authorities for documentation and the filing of charges.