ILOILO City – A 44-year-old high-value drug suspect who previously graduated from a community rehabilitation program was arrested after police seized approximately 105 grams of suspected shabu during a buy-bust operation in Lapuz district on Wednesday afternoon, July 15.
Police identified the suspect by the alias “ET,” a jobless resident of Lapuz.
According to the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6), the suspect surrendered to authorities in 2016 under the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADAC) program. While he successfully completed the Community-Based Rehabilitation Program in 2017, intelligence reports revealed he allegedly returned to the illegal drug trade, distributing supply across Lapuz and neighboring districts.
The suspect had been under police surveillance for nearly three weeks prior to his arrest.
At around 3:40 p.m. on Wednesday, joint police forces launched the sting operation in Zone 6, Barangay Alalasan, Lapuz. Recovered from the suspect were 11 heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets containing suspected shabu valued at around P714,000, the buy-bust money, and various drug and non-drug paraphernalia.
The operation was executed by the City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO), in coordination with the Iloilo Maritime Police Station, the ICPO Special Weapons and Tactics Team, and the Station Drug Enforcement Team of Iloilo City Police Station 8.
The suspect is currently in police custody and faces criminal charges for violating Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002./PN
