PHP11.5 million in shabu seized in Negros raids

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY – Police seized PHP11.5 million worth of suspected shabu in a series of anti-drug operations in Negros Oriental and Bacolod City over the past two days, arresting six suspects, including two tagged as high-value individuals.

The biggest haul came from a buy-bust in Barangay Bajumpandan, Dumaguete City, late Thursday night, where operatives recovered 1,500 grams of suspected shabu worth PHP10.2 million from a 41-year-old resident of Barangay Buntis, Bacong.

Police Lt. Col. Joem Malong, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office–Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR), said authorities acted on intelligence from the City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) and conducted surveillance before launching the operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Police Drug Enforcement Group Special Operations Unit (PDEG-SOU).

Recovered from the suspect were 15 sealed sachets of suspected shabu, buy-bust money, a cellphone, a coin pouch, and a sling bag.

Malong said the suspect was an alleged drug courier and a high-value target, noting that Dumaguete’s access to Cebu, Mindanao, and nearby provinces makes Negros Oriental a distribution hub.

Other operations in Bacolod City netted a total of PHP748,000 worth of suspected shabu from a 39-year-old man previously arrested for the anti-fencing law and his 25-year-old nephew in Barangay 3, as well as PHP462,400 worth from a 33-year-old woman in Barangay 8.

In Negros Occidental, police arrested a 41-year-old farmer and a 33-year-old truck driver in Don Salvador Benedicto with PHP163,200 worth of suspected shabu, and five other suspects in separate operations in Victorias, Kabankalan, Himamaylan, and Pontevedra, yielding PHP496,400 worth of suspected shabu.

Police Brig. Gen. Arnold Thomas Ibay, PRO-NIR director, said the series of arrests reflects the Philippine National Police’s sustained campaign to dismantle drug networks and hold those involved accountable.

“The bravery, integrity, and dedication of our personnel, especially those in high-risk operations, remain exceptional,” Ibay said, commending the operatives for their vigilance, swift execution, and professionalism.