VINCENZO SAGUN, Zamboanga del Sur — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Regional Office 9 (PDEA RO9) dismantled a suspected drug den and arrested three high-value targets during a pre-dawn operation in Barangay Cogon on December 13, 2025, dealing a significant blow to illegal drug activities in the area.
The operation was carried out by PDEA RO9’s Regional Special Enforcement Team (RSET), in coordination with the 53rd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, following the implementation of a search warrant at around 12:15 a.m. Authorities seized approximately 15 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated standard drug value of ₱102,000, along with various drug paraphernalia allegedly used for the sale and use of illegal drugs.
Arrested during the operation were three suspects identified by their aliases: “Bai,” 28; “John,” 19; and “Mel,” 39. Police said one of the suspects is a hospital staff member of a nearby regional hospital, raising further concern over the reach of illegal drugs into professional workplaces and the community.
All three suspects are currently under custody and will face charges for violations of Sections 6 (maintenance of a drug den), 7 (employees and visitors of a drug den), 11 (possession of dangerous drugs), and 12 (possession of drug paraphernalia) of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
PDEA RO9 said the successful operation underscores the agency’s intensified campaign against illegal drugs in Zamboanga del Sur, warning that authorities will continue to pursue drug personalities and dismantle drug dens to protect communities from the dangers posed by narcotics.