BUTUAN CITY – A 22-year-old suspected high-value drug personality (HVI) who had been released from jail only a month earlier was arrested in a police buy-bust operation after allegedly resuming illegal drug activities, leading to the seizure of more than ₱5.4 million worth of suspected shabu and an unlicensed firearm.
The operation was conducted at around 1:30 a.m. on July 20, 2026, in Purok 2A, Barangay Bading, Butuan City, by operatives of the Butuan City Police Office-City Drug Enforcement Unit (BCPO-CDEU), led by Police Captain Ramon U. Atenta, in coordination with personnel from Butuan City Police Station 2.
Authorities identified the suspect as Jerome Espina Anacaya, 22, unemployed, and a resident of Purok 4, Barangay Maon, Butuan City. Police said Anacaya is listed as a High Value Individual (HVI) in the city’s anti-illegal drugs campaign.
According to investigators, an undercover police operative successfully purchased a sachet of suspected shabu from the suspect during the buy-bust operation, prompting law enforcers to immediately arrest him.
A subsequent search led to the recovery of 10 sachets containing approximately 800 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of ₱5.44 million. Also confiscated were the ₱50,000 marked buy-bust money, a digital weighing scale, a cellular phone, and a caliber .45 pistol with a magazine loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition.
Police described the operation as the culmination of weeks of surveillance after receiving intelligence reports that the suspect had allegedly resumed selling illegal drugs.
Police Captain Atenta disclosed that authorities had been closely monitoring Anacaya’s activities before the operation was launched.
Investigators also revealed that the suspect had only been released from jail last month after facing charges for violating Republic Act 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, raising concerns over his alleged return to criminal activities shortly after regaining his freedom.
The suspect is now under the custody of the BCPO-City Drug Enforcement Unit while criminal complaints are being prepared against him for alleged violations of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, as well as Republic Act 10591 for the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
Authorities emphasized that the successful operation forms part of the Philippine National Police’s intensified campaign against illegal drugs and organized criminality, particularly targeting high-value drug personalities operating in Butuan City.
The confiscated suspected shabu will undergo laboratory examination, while investigators continue to determine the source of the illegal drugs and identify other individuals who may be linked to the suspect’s alleged drug distribution network.