GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Law enforcement operatives successfully intercepted an estimated ₱3.5 million worth of suspected dried marijuana leaves packed in parcels at a forwarding company warehouse in Barangay Calumpang, General Santos City, following a series of coordinated police operations.
The operation stemmed from the earlier arrest of a suspect identified as Romnick Balila Dela Peña, who was apprehended by elements of Police Station 3 on December 22, 2025, along Digos–Makar Road, Barangay Lagao. Dela Peña was arrested for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 (RA 9165) and Article 151 of the Revised Penal Code or disobedience to a person in authority.
During interrogation, Dela Peña reportedly admitted that he was expecting parcels containing illegal drugs from Luzon, consigned under the name “Mr. Jordan,” and delivered through a local forwarding company.
Upon receiving critical information, Police Station 3 immediately coordinated with Police Station 10 and the management of the courier service. On December 26, 2025, around 6:04 a.m., authorities recovered a suspicious shipment at the warehouse located in New Bohol, Barangay Calumpang.
Inside the package, police found two blocks of dried marijuana leaves, commonly referred to as “kush,” weighing around two kilograms.
Further inspection and coordination led operatives to discover another package with identical packaging characteristics and the same sender’s information, but addressed to a certain “Mark Valdez.” The second parcel contained an additional five kilograms of suspected marijuana.
In total, seven kilograms of illegal drugs were seized.
GSCPO City Director Police Colonel Nicomedes Olaivar Jr. confirmed the confiscated items were properly documented and placed under police custody as evidence. He said that the arrest and subsequent follow-up operations highlight the importance of intelligence sharing and cooperation between units.
“This accomplishment is a result of the relentless efforts of our personnel in combating illegal drugs. We will continue to strengthen our monitoring, especially with the growing use of courier services for drug smuggling,” Olaivar stressed.
The police are now conducting a thorough investigation to identify all individuals linked to the shipment, including the sender and intended recipients of the parcels. Additional operations are expected as authorities trace the network behind what is believed to be a wider drug distribution scheme operating within the city.