Authorities scored major victories against illegal drugs over the weekend, seizing a combined P9.1 million worth of suspected shabu and arresting two high-value individuals (HVIs) in separate buy-bust operations.
In Ormoc City, Leyte, a joint operation on Friday led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the Philippine National Police, and the 1st Leyte Provincial Mobile Force Company resulted in the arrest of a 48-year-old woman and the seizure of approximately 1,082 grams of suspected shabu, valued at P7,357,600 under Dangerous Drugs Board standards. Authorities recovered one heat-sealed sachet intended for sale, 23 additional sachets, boodle money, a portable digital weighing scale, a mobile phone, and assorted personal items including identification and ATM cards. All items have been turned over to Regional Forensic Unit 8 for chemical examination, and criminal charges are being prepared.
Meanwhile, in Barangay Calipahan, Talavera, Nueva Ecija, authorities conducted a buy-bust operation on Saturday morning.
A suspected HVI was apprehended in the act of selling shabu to a police poseur-buyer, and officers recovered 270 grams of suspected shabu, valued at P1.8 million, along with the marked money used in the transaction.
The operation was led by the Talavera Municipal Police Station’s Special Drug Enforcement Team, supported by the Police Intelligence Unit, the Provincial Police Drug Enforcement Unit, and coordinated closely with PDEA.
All seized items and the suspect were brought to the Talavera police station for documentation, inventory, and filing of charges under existing laws.
PRO3 Regional Director Police Brigadier General Ponce Rogelio I. Peñones Jr. lauded the operations, saying they underscore the region’s continued, focused campaign against illegal drugs, with special attention to high-value individuals driving the trade.
“These back-to-back successes demonstrate our commitment to dismantling major drug networks and protecting communities from the scourge of illegal drugs,” Peñones added.