ILIGAN CITY — Authorities arrested two men in separate buy-bust operations here on the night of January 29, dealing a significant blow to the illegal drug trade and seizing a combined haul of suspected shabu worth more than ₱630,000.
In Barangay Santiago, operatives of Police Station 1 arrested a 28-year-old man known as alias “Emilito” during a buy-bust operation around the evening in Purok 4-C. The suspect, a resident of the area, was allegedly caught selling illegal drugs worth ₱500 to a poseur-buyer.
Police recovered eight sachets of suspected shabu from Emilito. During initial questioning, the suspect claimed he was merely instructed to sell the drugs by another person.
Records show Emilito had previously faced cases involving violation of Republic Act 9262 or the Violence Against Women and Their Children Act, as well as a frustrated murder charge, but was earlier acquitted. He is now detained at Police Station 1 and is facing fresh charges for violation of Republic Act 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Just hours later, a separate and larger operation led by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) resulted in the arrest of another suspect, alias “Jecriz,” a resident of Magsaysay, Lanao del Norte. The buy-bust was carried out at around 7:16 p.m. in the parking area of a mall in Iligan City.
NBI agents confiscated an estimated 350 grams of suspected shabu from Jecriz. Authorities said the drugs were allegedly being sold at ₱9,000 per five grams, placing the total street value of the seized contraband at approximately ₱630,000.
The suspect told investigators that the illegal drugs reportedly originated from Marawi City. He is currently under NBI custody as formal charges are being prepared against him.
Law enforcement agencies reiterated their commitment to intensifying anti-illegal drug operations in Iligan City and nearby areas, warning drug traffickers and street-level pushers that coordinated crackdowns will continue.