DAVAO CITY — A 32-year-old local painter listed as one of the Top 5 city-level High Value Individuals (HVI) in the illegal drug trade was arrested in a pre-dawn operation Tuesday after police recovered suspected shabu and an unlicensed firearm from his residence in Barangay Panacan.
The suspect, identified by authorities as alias “Mark,” was apprehended at around 3:29 a.m. on January 13, 2026 during the implementation of two search warrants by personnel of Sasa Police Station 4, in coordination with operatives from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 11 (RMFB 11).
The warrants, issued by Executive Judge Rowena Apao-Adlawan of the Regional Trial Court in Davao City, were in connection with violations of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002) and Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act).
According to the police report, operatives raided the suspect’s residence in Purok 22, Abad Compound, Malagamot, Barangay Panacan, where they allegedly recovered sachets of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of ₱161,024 and a .38-caliber revolver loaded with two live bullets.
Authorities said the operation was the result of weeks of intelligence gathering and surveillance, confirming the suspect’s alleged involvement in illegal drug distribution within the city.
“This arrest is a significant step in our intensified campaign against high-value drug personalities in Davao City,” a police official said. “Removing key players in the drug trade helps weaken the entire network.”
The suspect was immediately taken into custody and is now detained at Sasa Police Station 4, where he will face formal charges for illegal possession of dangerous drugs and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
The confiscated drugs were turned over to the Davao City Forensic Unit Laboratory for chemical analysis, while the seized firearm and ammunition are scheduled for ballistic and technical examination.
Police emphasized that operations against high-value targets will continue as part of the government’s relentless drive to curb illegal drugs and criminality in the city.