CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — A late-night drug buy-bust operation in Barangay Macabalan led to the arrest of a high-value individual (HVI) and his alleged cohort, with authorities seizing nearly ₱480,000 worth of illegal drugs, police said.
Operatives of the City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (COCPO) apprehended the two suspects at Piaping Itom, Barangay Macabalan, on the evening of January 28, 2026, following a carefully coordinated operation.
The suspects were identified as alias “Al,” 41, a graphic artist and tagged as a high-value individual, and alias “Melchor,” 57. Police recovered an estimated 60 grams of suspected shabu with a total street value of ₱408,000, along with buy-bust money, a mobile phone, and a Yamaha Mio motorcycle believed to have been used in the illegal transaction.
Authorities said the successful operation was the result of sustained intelligence gathering and surveillance against illegal drug activities in the area. The confiscated items were properly inventoried and documented in the presence of required witnesses, in accordance with standard operating procedures.
Both suspects are now under police custody and are facing charges for violation of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
COCPO reiterated its commitment to intensify anti-illegal drug operations across the city, stressing that the arrest of high-value targets is a crucial step in dismantling drug networks and protecting communities from the harmful effects of illegal narcotics.