DAVAO CITY — Authorities dismantled an alleged drug den operating inside a bar in Davao City during a pre-dawn buy-bust operation on Saturday, July 11, resulting in the arrest of 11 suspected drug personalities and the seizure of illegal drugs and paraphernalia valued at approximately ₱255,000.
The operation was jointly conducted by operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Regional Office 11 (PDEA-11) and the National Bureau of Investigation–Southeastern Mindanao Regional Office (NBI-SEMRO) at around 2:40 a.m. along Sales Street, Barangay 27-C.
Authorities said the operation initially targeted a 26-year-old disc jockey identified only by the alias “DJ Kar.” The suspect was arrested after he allegedly sold a small tape-sealed transparent plastic sachet containing four tablets of suspected methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as ecstasy, worth ₱14,000 to an undercover PDEA operative posing as a buyer.
Following the successful drug transaction, law enforcement officers immediately moved in and raided the establishment, which authorities alleged was being used as a drug den.
Also arrested during the operation was the alleged drug den maintainer and bar owner, identified only as alias “Edward.” Three alleged employees of the establishment—identified as aliases “Ryan,” “Harvey,” and “Raul”—were likewise taken into custody.
In addition, six individuals believed to be visitors of the alleged drug den were apprehended. They were identified only by their aliases “Vince,” “Nathan,” “Agatha,” “Destin,” “Marl,” and “Kaito.”
A thorough search of the premises led to the recovery of a substantial quantity of suspected illegal drugs and drug-related items. Confiscated during the operation were 65 marijuana vape cartridges, two 500-milliliter bottles containing suspected diluted ecstasy, assorted drug paraphernalia, and the marked buy-bust money used during the operation.
Authorities estimated the total value of the confiscated illegal drugs at ₱255,000.
The dismantling of the alleged drug den forms part of the government’s intensified anti-illegal drugs campaign targeting establishments suspected of being used as distribution and consumption hubs for prohibited substances.
All 11 arrested individuals are set to face appropriate charges for violations of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, as amended.
PDEA has yet to disclose additional details regarding the origin of the seized illegal drugs or whether further operations are being conducted to identify other individuals allegedly involved in the illegal drug network linked to the establishment. Investigations remain ongoing.