Alabel, Sarangani Province – June 2, 2025 — In a continued show of force against the illegal drug trade, a joint anti-narcotics operation successfully led to the arrest of a suspected drug personality in Barangay Poblacion, Alabel, Sarangani.
The buy-bust operation was carried out by combined forces of the Alabel Municipal Police Station – Municipal Drug Enforcement Unit (MDEU), Regional Office 12, PDEA Sarangani Provincial Office, the Sarangani Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU), the 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company, and the 1201st Maneuver Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 12 (RMFB 12).
Arrested during the operation was a 50-year-old male, known by the alias “Jim”, a resident of Purok 8-A, Barangay Poblacion, and identified by PDEA as a Street-Level Individual (SLI). Authorities said the suspect was caught in the act of selling suspected shabu to a police poseur buyer with the help of a civilian informant.
Recovered from the suspect were a heat-sealed plastic sachet containing about 1.5 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of ₱4,500, a genuine ₱500 bill used as marked money, and four counterfeit ₱1,000 bills.
Police said the suspect was immediately informed of his rights and the reason for his arrest in a language he fully understood. An on-site inventory of the seized items was conducted in the presence of two required witnesses—a barangay councilor and a media representative—to ensure legal compliance.
The suspect and all confiscated items were turned over to the PDEA Sarangani Provincial Office for custody and further investigation.
Provincial police director PCOL Deanry R. Francisco praised the coordinated efforts of the operating units, reaffirming the local police’s unwavering commitment to the government’s intensified campaign against illegal drugs.
“This operation shows that our law enforcement community remains united and relentless in our mission to make Sarangani a drug-free province,” Francisco said.