P816K Worth of Shabu Seized in Iloilo Sting

By Jennifer P. Rendon

A 54-year-old jobless man was arrested in a police anti-illegal drug operation on the afternoon of Feb. 2 in Lambunao, Iloilo.

The suspect, identified as alias Jonathan, a resident of Barangay Cubay, Lambunao, was apprehended in Maruibong village around 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Members of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office – Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (IPPO-PDEU) Team 2, along with personnel from the IPPO Provincial Intelligence Unit and the Lambunao Municipal Police Station, arrested Jonathan after he allegedly sold a sachet of suspected shabu for PHP6,000 to a police poseur buyer.

During a body search, police recovered two more sachets of suspected shabu from him.

Major Dadje Delima, IPPO-PDEU chief, said the seized drugs weighed approximately 120 grams, with an estimated standard drug price of PHP816,000.

Jonathan was arrested after months of surveillance operations.

However, Delima said the suspect had been on police radar for more than a year.

He allegedly operated in Passi City and the towns of Lambunao, Calinog, Dueñas, and Janiuay.

This was Jonathan’s first drug-related arrest.

However, in 2024, members of the Lambunao Municipal Police Station raided his house for alleged violations of Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act).

He was not at home during the police search, but a case was filed against him in court.

With his recent arrest, Jonathan is now facing another criminal charge, this time for violating Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).