Pavia drug bust yields PHP 2.1M shabu

By Jennifer P. Rendon

A man from Pototan, Iloilo, was arrested during an anti-narcotics operation on the morning of Dec. 9 in Barangay Balabag, Pavia.

The suspect, known as alias Kejie, 43, and a resident of Barangay Nanga, Pototan, was apprehended in a roadside buy-bust operation.

Police from the Pavia Municipal Police Station arrested him after he allegedly sold a sachet of suspected shabu for PHP 15,000.

Authorities said the operation also yielded seven additional sachets and two knot-tied plastic packs of suspected shabu.

Pavia police chief Capt. Ritz Field Presquito said the seized drugs weighed about 310 grams with an estimated standard drug price of PHP 2,108,000.

Presquito said the operation stemmed from reports by residents who flagged the suspect’s suspicious activities in the area.

He said a monthlong surveillance confirmed the suspect’s involvement in illegal drug operations.

Police said the suspect allegedly sourced his drug supply from Metro Manila and distributed it across several municipalities in Iloilo province.

Presquito also confirmed that the suspect had no previous drug-related arrests.

Kejie is now detained and will face charges for violating Republic Act 9165, also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.