P455.6M worth of shabu seized in Zamboanga City drug bust
Police seized 67 kilograms of suspected shabu worth P455.6 million and arrested four suspects during a buy-bust operation in Zamboanga City, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported Thursday.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said authorities were expanding their investigation to identify the sources, financiers and distributors behind the illegal drug shipment.
The joint operation by the PNP and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) was conducted in Barangay Mercedes, Zamboanga City, at around 4:52 p.m. on Wednesday, 11 November 2026.
Police identified the arrested suspects as Sabirin Alisan, 57; Shermahal Halisan, 42; Jul-Asbi Asakil, 56; and Abu-Darda Abdulhaih, 33.
The operation, conducted under "Coplan Shadow Ice," initially yielded approximately two kilograms of suspected shabu during the transaction.
A subsequent search of the target area uncovered another 65 kilograms, bringing the total seizure to 67 kilograms with an estimated standard drug price of P455.6 million.
“This is a significant accomplishment in our campaign against illegal drugs because we have prevented a substantial volume of dangerous substances from reaching our communities,” Nartatez said.
“More than the value of the seized drugs, what matters is the lives we may have saved and the harm we would have prevented had they been distributed not only in Mindanao but across the country,” he added.
Wider drug network targeted
Nartatez ordered investigators to go beyond the four arrested suspects and identify other individuals involved in the shipment and distribution of the illegal drugs.
“I have directed our concerned units to pursue the investigation beyond the four arrested suspects and establish the entire chain behind this illegal drug operation. We must identify the sources, financiers, distributors, and other personalities involved so that we can dismantle the network, not just intercept its products,” he said.
He directed police units to coordinate with PDEA and other law enforcement agencies to trace the shipment's origin, financing, distribution routes and intended recipients.
Authorities also confiscated cellular phones, identification cards, a weighing scale, a vehicle and other items believed to be connected to the illegal drug operation.
The four suspects face charges under Sections 5 and 11, Article II of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, covering the sale and possession of dangerous drugs.
The PNP said the operation was part of the government's intensified anti-drug campaign, which seeks to dismantle trafficking networks through intelligence-driven enforcement and interagency coordination.
Nartatez commended the operating units and emphasized the need for sustained cooperation among law enforcement agencies to prevent the distribution of illegal drugs.