IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay — Authorities arrested a former seaman turned farmer after he was caught in possession of about one kilo of suspected shabu valued at ₱6.8 million during a joint anti-drug operation in Barangay Don Andres, Ipil, on Sunday afternoon, November 2.
The suspect, identified as alias “Boy Blue,” 46, a resident of Barangay Población, Mahayag, Zamboanga del Sur, was arrested during a buy-bust operation conducted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region 9, in coordination with the PDEA Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Office, the Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit, the Regional Intelligence Division-9, the PNP-DEG Special Operations Unit 9, and the Ipil Municipal Police Station.
PDEA-9 Regional Director Bryan Babang said the suspect was immediately subdued after selling a kilo of suspected shabu to undercover agents during the operation, which was set up through the help of confidential informants and vigilant villagers who had long been aware of his illegal activities in the area.
“The successful entrapment operation was made possible through the strong coordination between our agency, the Police Regional Office 9 under Brig. Gen. Eleazar Matta, and the support of the Ipil Municipal Peace and Order Council,” Babang said.
Recovered from the suspect were a large pack of suspected shabu weighing around one kilo and the marked money used in the transaction.
The suspect is currently detained and will face charges for violating Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Authorities lauded the cooperation of local residents and officials in the operation, emphasizing that community vigilance remains crucial in the ongoing campaign against illegal drugs in Zamboanga Peninsula.