BUTUAN CITY — Police arrested a suspected high-value individual (HVI) and seized 53.56 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of P364,208, along with a hand grenade, during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Ong Yiu, Butuan City, on Thursday, September 24, 2026.
The operation was carried out in Purok 11 of Barangay Ong Yiu by personnel of the Police Regional Office in Caraga (PRO 13), resulting in the arrest of a 51-year-old man identified by police as alias “Jamal,” a resident of Purok 1 in the same barangay.
Police Brigadier General Rolindo M. Suguilon, PRO 13 director, identified Jamal as the target of the operation and described him as a high-value individual in the region’s illegal drug trade.
The operation was conducted jointly by personnel of the Regional Intelligence Division 13, Butuan City Police Office, and Butuan City Police Station 2, in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Regional Office 13 (PDEA-13).
Police said the operating team recovered 53.56 grams of suspected shabu, contained in sealed and unsealed transparent plastic sachets, during the operation. Authorities placed the estimated value of the confiscated suspected illegal drugs at P364,208.
Also recovered from Jamal were the marked money used in the operation, a hand grenade, and a cellular phone, according to PRO 13.
The recovery of the explosive prompted the deployment of an explosive ordnance disposal team. An EOD technician from the Butuan City EOD-K9 Unit conducted a Render Safe Procedure, successfully making the hand grenade safe.
The presence of the grenade added a significant security concern to the operation, requiring authorities to take appropriate explosive-safety measures before the area and recovered evidence could be secured.
PRO 13 Director PBGen Suguilon commended the police units involved in the operation, particularly their intelligence and coordination efforts that led to the arrest of the suspect and recovery of the suspected illegal drugs and explosive.
“I commend the operating troops for this successful operation. Illegal drugs remain one of the threats we need to counter and eradicate,” Suguilon said.
He also called for continued intelligence gathering and law-enforcement operations against individuals allegedly involved in the distribution of illegal drugs in the region.
“Let us continue to intensify our intelligence build-up to identify individuals engaged in the proliferation of illegal drugs in the region and ensure that our operations lead to their arrest,” he added.
The seized items were placed under police custody for documentation and appropriate legal proceedings. The suspected shabu will be subjected to the required examination and inventory procedures as part of the investigation.
The arrest and seizure are expected to form part of the police’s continuing campaign against the trafficking and distribution of illegal drugs in the Caraga region.
Authorities have not indicated in the information released whether additional suspects were being pursued in connection with the operation.
As of the latest police account, Jamal remained in the custody of authorities and is expected to face appropriate charges in connection with the suspected illegal drugs and possession of the hand grenade, subject to the results of the investigation and applicable law.