MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur — Joint operatives of the Marawi City Police Station, Balindong Municipal Police Station, and the 1402nd Regional Mobile Force Company (RMFC), RMFB 14-A, arrested a High-Value Individual (HVI) in a successful anti-illegal drugs operation in Barangay Basak Malutlut, Marawi City on Tuesday night, January 6, 2026.
The suspect, a female identified only by her alias “Tomboy,” was apprehended at around 8:00 p.m. following the successful consummation of a buy-bust transaction conducted by a police poseur-buyer. Authorities recovered four heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets containing a white crystalline substance believed to be shabu, weighing approximately 20 grams and valued at around ₱136,000.
Also seized from the suspect was the buy-bust money composed of one genuine ₱1,000 bill bearing serial number GD368882 placed on top of twenty-nine cut photocopied ₱1,000 bills used during the operation.
Police said the operation was carried out under Pre-Operation Number 15-00-01062026-007 and was the result of month-long monitoring and intelligence-gathering efforts against the suspect, who is considered a key player in the local illegal drug trade.
The arrested suspect and the confiscated evidence were brought to the Marawi City Police Station for proper documentation and the filing of charges for violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
PCOL Caezar P. Cabuhat, Provincial Director of the Lanao del Sur Police Provincial Office, lauded the joint operating units for their dedication and sustained efforts in dismantling illegal drug networks in the province.
Meanwhile, PBGEN Jaysen C. De Guzman, Regional Director of Police Regional Office–Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO BAR), commended the successful operation and reiterated the police force’s commitment to intensifying anti-drug operations to ensure a safer and more secure Bangsamoro region.
“This arrest sends a strong message that no one is beyond the reach of the law,” De Guzman said, emphasizing the PNP’s resolve to protect communities from the scourge of illegal drugs.