COMPOSTELA, Davao de Oro — A live-in couple was arrested during a joint anti-drug buy-bust operation in Barangay San Miguel, Compostela, Davao de Oro, on Saturday evening, October 10, 2026, after allegedly selling suspected shabu worth ₱7,000 to an undercover operative.
The operation was conducted at around 5:18 p.m. in Purok 16, Barangay San Miguel, by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Regional Office 11 in coordination with the Police Regional Office 11–Regional Intelligence Unit, Davao de Oro Police Provincial Office, and Compostela Municipal Police Station.
Authorities identified the arrested suspects as alias “Enting,” 39, and his live-in partner, alias “Janice,” 37. The two were apprehended after allegedly conspiring to sell one heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet containing suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu, to an operative who posed as a buyer.
A subsequent search led to the confiscation of nine additional transparent plastic sachets of various sizes containing suspected shabu, with an estimated total weight of 517 grams and a Standard Drug Price (SDP) value of ₱3,515,600.
The authorities also recovered assorted drug paraphernalia and the marked money used in the transaction.
The seizure of the suspected illegal drugs, valued at more than ₱3.5 million, represents a significant quantity removed from circulation in the Davao Region, although laboratory examination is still necessary to confirm the substance and its composition.
The confiscated evidence was secured for proper documentation and submission to a forensic laboratory for examination.
The suspects are expected to face charges for alleged violations of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, as amended.
PDEA Regional Office 11 Director Atty. Benjamin G. Gaspi reiterated the agency’s commitment to intensifying anti-drug operations in coordination with partner law enforcement agencies.
Gaspi said the continuing operations are aimed at apprehending individuals involved in the illegal drug trade and preventing dangerous drugs from reaching local communities.
He also urged the public to cooperate with authorities by reporting suspicious activities that may be linked to illegal drugs, emphasizing that community participation remains important in efforts to promote public safety and build safer, drug-free communities across the Davao Region.
The case will proceed through the appropriate legal process, with the seized substances subject to laboratory confirmation and the suspects entitled to the protections afforded by law.