Pototan drug bust yields PHP 1.05 million in shabu

ILOILO CITY — A woman and her alleged accomplice were arrested during a police anti-drug operation Friday evening, Oct. 23, in Pototan, Iloilo, that yielded more than PHP 1 million worth of suspected shabu.

The suspects, identified only as aliases “Che,” 42, and “Stephen,” 23, both residents of Pototan, were arrested during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Barasan.

Members of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office-Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (IPPO-PDEU) Team 1, in coordination with the Pototan Municipal Police Station, IPPO Provincial Intelligence Unit and Police Regional Office 6’s Regional Intelligence Division, seized seven sachets of suspected shabu and several non-drug items.

Police Maj. Dadje Delima, IPPO-PDEU chief, said the confiscated drugs weighed approximately 155 grams and had an estimated street value of PHP 1,054,000.

Police classified Che as a high-value individual, while Stephen was categorized as a street-level drug pusher.

Delima said the suspects’ arrest resulted from sustained intelligence monitoring, target validation and information gathering.

The two suspects are now in police custody and face charges for violating Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

The law penalizes the illegal sale, distribution and possession of dangerous drugs, with penalties depending on the nature of the offense and the quantity of drugs involved.