Three Arrested in PHP 5.4-M Drug Bust

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD CITY – Police seized 800 grams of suspected shabu valued at PHP 5,440,000 during a buy-bust operation in Barangay 2, Victorias City, Negros Occidental, on Tuesday.

The suspects, whose names were withheld, are aged 24 and 48, both residents of Barangay 2, and a 37-year-old resident of Barangay 21.

Authorities confiscated 74 heat-sealed plastic sachets, six unsealed plastic sachets of suspected shabu, an improvised tooter, a weighing scale, and PHP 500 in marked money.

Police identified two of the suspects as street-level individuals, while the third was classified as a high-value individual. The Victorias City Police Station has not yet disclosed additional details about the suspects’ backgrounds.

Police Col. Rainerio De Chavez, director of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo), said the operation highlights the provincial police force’s unwavering commitment to protecting communities from illegal drugs.

“This reflects the effectiveness of our strategies and the dedication of our personnel,” De Chavez added.

In Kabankalan City, a man and a woman were also arrested on Tuesday in a drug bust in Barangay Hilamonan.

The operation yielded 35 grams of suspected shabu valued at PHP 238,000.

The suspects, identified as alias “Jemboy,” 35, a resident of Barangay Hilamonan, and alias “Nik-Nik,” 27, of Barangay 5, were found with an improvised tooter, a plastic straw scoop, scissors, a digital weighing scale, PHP 500 in marked money, a 9mm caliber pistol magazine with seven live rounds, PHP 400 in cash, and two lighters.

Meanwhile, in Escalante City, a 30-year-old truck driver voluntarily surrendered to police on Tuesday to clear his name from alleged links to a drug group and criminal gang.

The individual, who is listed on the drug watchlist, will undergo a drug test and be subjected to monitoring by the city police until his adjudication and delisting.