A regional and city-level most wanted person facing drug-related charges was arrested by police operatives during the implementation of a warrant of arrest in Barangay Dadiangas South, General Santos City on May 19, authorities said.
The suspect, identified only by his alias “Torno,” 55, married, and working as a painter, was apprehended by personnel of Police Station 6 of the General Santos City Police Office (GSCPO). He is listed as the Number 10 Most Wanted Person at the regional level and Number 9 at the city level.
Police said the operation was carried out by virtue of a Warrant of Arrest for violation of Section 11, Article II of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, which penalizes the possession of illegal drugs.
During the service of the warrant, the operating team reportedly recovered four sachets of suspected shabu concealed inside a rectangular purse and one all-weather glass pipe containing traces of suspected illegal drugs from the suspect’s possession and control.
Authorities said the confiscated illegal drugs weighed an estimated 60 grams with a National Standard Drug Price amounting to ₱408,000.
Following his arrest, the suspect was brought to Police Station 6 for documentation and other legal procedures before being turned over to the appropriate court.
Police Regional Office-12 Director Arnold P. Ardiente commended the operating team for the successful arrest, saying the accomplishment highlights the continuing intensified campaign against illegal drugs and wanted persons in the region.
“This operation reflects our firm commitment to ensure that fugitives of justice are accounted for and that illegal drugs have no place in our communities. PRO 12 remains relentless in its mandate to uphold peace, order, and public safety,” Ardiente said.
The arrest forms part of the ongoing anti-criminality and anti-illegal drugs operations being conducted by law enforcement agencies across Region 12 aimed at tracking down fugitives and dismantling illegal drug activities in local communities.