ZAMBOANGA CITY – Authorities arrested a high-value drug suspect in a successful buy-bust operation in the early hours of Sunday, June 29, 2025, along General Vicente Alvarez Street in Barangay Zone 4, Zamboanga City, resulting in the seizure of over three kilograms of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of ₱20.4 million.
The suspect was identified as Nelson Lamon y Hibbul, 41, a resident of Barangay San Jose Cawa-Cawa and a driver of a public utility motorcycle. Lamon is now under detention at a local police facility and is facing charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
The operation was conducted at approximately 12:15 AM by operatives of the Special Operations Unit 9 (SOU9) and the Philippine National Police – Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-DEG), in coordination with the Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO), Police Regional Office-9 (PRO-9), and other regional and local law enforcement units.
According to PRO-9 officials, the buy-bust was carried out after weeks of surveillance on Lamon, who had long been under the radar for his alleged large-scale distribution of illegal drugs not only in Zamboanga City but also in neighboring provinces.
Police Colonel Diomarie Albarico and Lieutenant Aldazer Sahisa, who jointly led the operation, reported that Lamon did not resist arrest after he handed over the three kilograms of suspected shabu to undercover agents. He was immediately taken into custody.
In a statement from the office of Police Brigadier General Roel Rodolfo, director of PRO-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR), the success of the entrapment operation was credited to the collaboration with local government officials and confidential informants who provided critical intelligence about Lamon’s drug activities.
The arrest is seen as a major blow to the illegal drug trade in the region, as authorities continue to intensify their campaign against high-value targets and organized drug networks in Mindanao.