Pagadian City, April 23 — Three alleged high-value drug personalities were arrested and approximately 350 grams of suspected shabu were seized in a successful joint buy-bust operation led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Regional Office IX (PDEA RO-9) on Tuesday afternoon in Barangay Tiguma, Pagadian City.
The operation, carried out at around 2:00 PM, was conducted by the PDEA Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Office in coordination with multiple law enforcement units, including the PDEA RO-9 Regional Special Enforcement Team, Pagadian City Police Station, Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit, Provincial Intelligence Unit-ZDSPPO, Police Drug Enforcement Group 9, Regional Intelligence Unit 9, 1st Cavalry Battalion of the Philippine Army, and the Coast Guard Intelligence Group – Western Mindanao.
Authorities confiscated five heat-sealed plastic packs containing a white crystalline substance believed to be shabu. The total weight of the seized drugs is estimated at 350 grams, with a street value of Php 2.38 million.
Additional items recovered from the scene include brown paper bags used as containers, a brown sling bag, a black pouch labeled “KINETIX,” a keypad cellular phone, a motorcycle with sidecar (locally known as Payong-Payong), and boodle money topped with one genuine Php 1,000 bill used as marked money in the operation.
The arrested individuals were identified as Kandaw Sabal Lintongan, 35, and Nor-ain Canda Lintongan, 32 — both residents of Makir, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao — and Mojahid Canda Tanondong from Tapodoc, Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur.
All three suspects are facing charges for violations of Sections 5 (Sale) and 11 (Possession) under Article II of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
PDEA officials hailed the operation as another significant breakthrough in the ongoing campaign against illegal drugs in the region.