Cotabato City, May 19, 2025 — A coordinated anti-illegal drugs operation in Jolo, Sulu led to the arrest of a high-value drug suspect and the confiscation of over ₱6.8 million worth of suspected shabu on Monday, authorities confirmed.
The joint operation was conducted near Serentes Street in Barangay Chinese Pier, Jolo, and resulted in the seizure of one heat-sealed transparent plastic bag containing a white crystalline substance believed to be shabu. The confiscated item weighed approximately one (1) kilogram and has an estimated standard drug price of ₱6,800,000.00.
Also recovered from the suspect were buy-bust money and a mobile phone believed to be used in illegal drug transactions.
The arrested suspect was identified as “Alyas Bads,” a 37-year-old male and resident of Barangay Luuk Tulay, Pata, Sulu. He is currently under the custody of the Jolo Municipal Police Station pending inquest proceedings for violations of Republic Act No. 9165, also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
The successful operation was spearheaded by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Sulu Provincial Office, in close coordination with the 5th Special Action Battalion (54th Special Action Company – SAF), Sulu Police Provincial Office Provincial Intelligence Unit (SPPO PIU), and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency – Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (NICA-BARMM).
Also supporting the operation were elements from the Regional Intelligence Unit IX (RIU IX), 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company (1st PMFC), Criminal Investigation and Detection Group IX (CIDG IX), Sulu Maritime Police Station (MARPSTA), 35th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, Military Intelligence Company 113rd, 11th Military Intelligence Battalion, the Philippine Coast Guard Eastern Sulu, Coast Guard K9-Sulu, Special Operation Unit – Sulu, Coast Guard Intelligence Unit – Western Sulu, and the Jolo Municipal Police Station.
In a statement, Director Castro of PDEA emphasized the importance of inter-agency collaboration:
“The collaborative effort among law enforcement agencies continues to play a critical role in ensuring peace and order in the Bangsamoro region.”
Authorities said the operation is part of ongoing intensified efforts to dismantle drug networks in Sulu and across the Bangsamoro region.