Two high-value targets (HVTs) involved in the distribution of shabu in Argao, Cebu were arrested in a buy-bust operation conducted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Cebu Provincial Office and the Philippine National Police Naga City Police Station at Purok Diamond, Barangay East Poblacion in Naga City at around 9:55 p.m. on 17 April.
The operation resulted from intelligence-driven surveillance and coordination between PDEA and local police, part of intensified anti-narcotics efforts in Central Visayas under the government’s campaign against illegal drugs.
PDEA Regional Office 7 director Joel B. Plaza identified the suspects as alias “Dodong,” 36, a welder, and alias “Anthony,” 32, an automotive mechanic, both residents of Argao. Authorities said the suspects allegedly used their regular occupations as cover while distributing shabu within Argao and nearby communities.
Seized during the operation were five packs of suspected shabu weighing about 50 grams with an estimated street value of p340,000. Authorities also confiscated the buy-bust money, two mobile phones, a sedan, and other non-drug evidence believed to have been used in the illegal trade.
The confiscated drug items were submitted to the PDEA Regional Office 7 laboratory for examination and proper documentation, while the suspects are temporarily detained at the PDEA RO-7 facility in Cebu City pending the filing of charges.
The suspects will face charges for violation of Sections 5 (sale of dangerous drugs) and 11 (possession of dangerous drugs) under Republic Act 9165. Conviction for these offenses carries the penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of up to P10 million.
Authorities said the arrest is expected to help disrupt local drug supply lines and support ongoing efforts to curb illegal drug activities in the province.