Tattoo artist arrested in La Union buy-bust operation

A 27-year-old tattoo artist was arrested in a buy-bust operation in the City of San Fernando, La Union, on the evening of 27 October, with police seizing 0.20 gram of suspected shabu and drug paraphernalia.

The operation was conducted from around 8:45 p.m. to 11 p.m. by personnel of the City of San Fernando Police Station, in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Region 1 and several police intelligence, drug enforcement, and mobile force units.

The suspect, who is single and a resident of the city, was arrested during the operation, police said.

Authorities confiscated one heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet containing 0.20 gram of suspected shabu, with an estimated standard drug price of P1,360.

Also seized were a genuine P500 bill combined with a counterfeit P1,000 bill allegedly used as buy-bust money, two glass tubes, two lighters, a digital weighing scale, a black Xiaomi Redmi mobile phone, and two pieces of rolled and folded aluminum foil.

Police said the inventory and marking of the confiscated items were conducted at the scene in the presence of the suspect and the required witnesses, in accordance with legal procedures.

The suspect remains in police custody pending documentation and the filing of appropriate charges.