IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay — More than 55 grams of suspected illegal drugs with an estimated street value of over ₱680,000 were confiscated following a successful anti-illegal drug buy-bust operation conducted by police and anti-narcotics agents on the evening of May 11, 2026, in Purok Santan, Barangay Tenan, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.
The operation, carried out around 7 p.m., was led by the Ipil Municipal Police Station under the supervision of Police Major Marjan M. Sali, in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Zamboanga Sibugay.
Authorities arrested a 27-year-old male suspect, described as single, unemployed, and a resident of Purok Bakhawan, Barangay Pangi, Ipil town.
Recovered during the operation was one heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet believed to contain shabu, which served as the buy-bust item. The confiscated substance reportedly weighed nearly five grams and carried an estimated value of around ₱340,000.
Operatives also seized another heat-sealed plastic sachet containing suspected shabu weighing nearly 50 grams, likewise valued at approximately ₱340,000.
In addition to the suspected illegal drugs, authorities recovered ₱500 in marked money, ₱29,000 worth of boodle money, an empty cigarette pack allegedly used as a container for the illegal substances, and a lighter.
The confiscated evidence has been turned over to the Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Forensic Unit for laboratory examination and proper documentation.
Meanwhile, the suspect is currently under the custody of the Ipil Municipal Police Station pending the filing of appropriate charges through inquest proceedings for alleged violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Police authorities reiterated their commitment to intensifying anti-drug operations across the province as part of the government’s continuing campaign against illegal narcotics.