WAO, Lanao del Sur — A 54-year-old man identified only by his alias “Efren” was arrested in a joint anti-drug operation on the afternoon of March 20, 2026, as authorities seized suspected shabu valued at P136,000 in Barangay West Kili Kili.
The operation, conducted at around 3:42 p.m. in Purok 4, was led by operatives of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group (PNP DEG) Special Operations Unit 15 under the leadership of Police Brigadier General Elmer E. Ragay. The buy-bust was carried out in coordination with multiple law enforcement units, including the Wao Municipal Police Station, Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit, Provincial Special Operations Group, 3rd Platoon of the 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company, Lanao del Sur Provincial Police Office, and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PDEA-BAR).
Authorities identified the suspect as a Street-Level Individual (SLI), a classification used for small-scale drug offenders operating within local communities. He was apprehended after allegedly selling illegal drugs to an undercover operative during the entrapment operation.
Seized from the suspect were approximately 20 grams of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride, commonly known as shabu, with an estimated street value of P136,000. Other non-drug items related to the operation were also recovered, although details were not disclosed.
Following his arrest, the suspect was taken into custody at the Wao Municipal Police Station for documentation and proper legal procedures. Meanwhile, the confiscated substances were turned over to the Regional Forensic Unit in the Bangsamoro region for laboratory examination to confirm their composition.
PNP DEG Director PBGen. Ragay reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to intensifying anti-drug operations nationwide, emphasizing a sustained crackdown on individuals involved in the illegal drug trade.
“We will continue our mission of sustaining police operations against those involved in the manufacturing, importation, and trafficking of illegal drugs, and we will ensure that this matter is successfully prosecuted,” Ragay said.
The arrest forms part of the government’s ongoing campaign to curb the proliferation of illegal drugs, particularly at the community level, where authorities say street-level transactions continue to fuel addiction and related crimes.
Charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 are being prepared against the suspect.