PLARIDEL, Misamis Occidental — Police authorities arrested a 48-year-old laborer allegedly classified as a High-Value Individual (HVI) and seized approximately 78.2 grams of suspected shabu during a checkpoint operation in Plaridel, Misamis Occidental, on Sunday morning.
The operation was carried out by personnel of the 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company (1st PMFC) of the Misamis Occidental Police Provincial Office (MISOCC PPO) at Purok 6, Barangay Eastern Looc, following intelligence information that a passenger aboard a gray van was allegedly transporting illegal drugs.
According to the police report, the operation began after PLTCOL Mardy M. Hortillosa II, Force Commander of the 1st PMFC, received information at about 8:02 a.m. from PLTCOL June Jose D. Booc, chief of the Provincial Intelligence Unit of the Misamis Occidental Police Provincial Office.
The information reportedly identified a person traveling aboard a gray passenger van who was allegedly carrying illegal drugs.
Acting on the intelligence report, 1st PMFC personnel immediately established a checkpoint in the area and flagged down the identified vehicle for inspection.
During the routine inspection of the passengers, police said they spotted a man inside the van who matched the description provided in the intelligence report.
The suspect was subsequently asked to alight from the vehicle.
Police said that as he got off the van, the man was observed discarding a package wrapped in tissue paper and secured with brown packaging tape.
The package was recovered and inspected by the responding police personnel. Inside were two heat-sealed plastic sachets containing a white crystalline substance suspected to be methamphetamine hydrochloride, commonly known as shabu.
The suspect was identified only by the alias “Dingdong,” a 48-year-old laborer and resident of Barangay Looc Proper, Plaridel, Misamis Occidental.
Authorities classified him as a High-Value Individual (HVI) upon his arrest.
The police reported confiscating the following items:
- One large heat-sealed plastic sachet containing suspected shabu; and
- One medium-sized heat-sealed plastic sachet containing suspected shabu.
The combined weight of the seized suspected illegal drugs was placed at approximately 78.2 grams, with an estimated Standard Drug Price (SDP) of ₱531,760.
The seizure represents a significant interception of suspected illegal drugs before they could allegedly be transported further into the community.
Following the operation, the arrested suspect was brought to the Plaridel Municipal Police Station for documentation, investigation, and proper disposition.
The confiscated substances were likewise secured by authorities for documentation, laboratory examination, and presentation in subsequent legal proceedings.
Police authorities emphasized that the operation was part of the continuing intensified campaign against the transportation and proliferation of illegal drugs in Misamis Occidental.
The 1st PMFC said it would continue strengthening checkpoint operations and coordinating with other units of the Philippine National Police to disrupt the movement of illegal drugs and other contraband through the province.
The arrest also highlights the role of intelligence-driven checkpoint operations in intercepting suspected drug shipments while they are being transported.
However, the allegations against the suspect remain subject to investigation and judicial proceedings, and the seized substance will have to undergo proper forensic examination to establish its identity and evidentiary value in court.
The police said their continuing anti-drug operations are aimed at preventing illegal drugs from reaching communities and protecting public safety and security across Misamis Occidental.