ILIGAN CITY — Authorities arrested a suspected drug peddler and seized approximately ₱680,000 worth of suspected shabu during a late-night buy-bust operation in Barangay Sta. Filomena, Iligan City, on June 20, 2026.
The operation, conducted at around 11:55 p.m., was led by the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit 10 (RPDEU-10) in coordination with the Regional Intelligence Unit (RIU) Iligan, 1005th Mobile Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 10 (RMFB-10), Iligan City Mobile Force Company (ICMFC), City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) Iligan, and Iligan City Police Station 3 (ICPS 3).
Arrested during the operation was a 29-year-old suspect identified only by his alias “JR,” a resident of Suarez, Iligan City. Police described the suspect as jobless and living with a live-in partner.
According to law enforcement records, the suspect has previously been charged for the same offense and is considered a repeat offender, with the latest arrest marking his fourth alleged violation of anti-drug laws.
Investigators said initial findings revealed that the suspect allegedly relied on the illegal drug trade as his primary source of income, distributing prohibited substances within various areas of Iligan City.
Seized from the suspect were 10 heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets of varying sizes containing a white crystalline substance believed to be shabu. The confiscated illegal drugs weighed approximately 100 grams and carried an estimated Standard Drug Price (SDP) of ₱680,000.
Authorities also recovered several drug-related items and personal belongings, including a coin pouch, a coin purse, an improvised tube believed to be drug paraphernalia, a Yamaha NMAX motorcycle, and a marked ₱1,000 bill used in the buy-bust transaction.
Following the operation, the suspect was taken into the custody of Iligan City Police Station 3 for proper documentation and legal procedures.
Police said charges for violations of Sections 5 and 11, Article II of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, are being prepared against the suspect. Section 5 penalizes the sale, trading, administration, dispensation, delivery, distribution, and transportation of dangerous drugs, while Section 11 pertains to the possession of illegal drugs.
Meanwhile, the confiscated drug evidence was turned over to the Iligan City Forensic Unit in Tipanoy, Iligan City, where it will undergo qualitative and quantitative laboratory examinations to confirm its composition and exact weight.
Police Regional Office 10 Director, Christopher N. Abrahano, commended the operating units for the successful conduct of the operation and reaffirmed the police force’s commitment to intensifying anti-illegal drug campaigns across Northern Mindanao.
The arrest forms part of the continuing efforts of law enforcement agencies to curb the proliferation of illegal drugs and dismantle local drug distribution networks in the region.