ILIGAN CITY – A joint anti-drug operation conducted by law enforcement authorities resulted in the arrest of a High-Value Individual (HVI) and the confiscation of approximately ₱476,000 worth of suspected shabu during a late-night buy-bust operation in Barangay Maria Cristina, Iligan City.
The operation was carried out at around 11:22 p.m. on July 22, 2026, by personnel of the Iligan City Police Office–City Drug Enforcement Unit (ICPO-CDEU) in coordination with Police Station 2, the Iligan City Mobile Force Company (ICMFC), and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Regional Office 10 (PDEA-10).
Arrested was a suspect identified only by the alias “Toyab,” 46 years old, single, unemployed, and a resident of Barangay Maria Cristina. Authorities identified him as a High-Value Individual (HVI) involved in the illegal drug trade.
Recovered during the operation were five heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets containing approximately 70 grams of a white crystalline substance believed to be shabu, with an estimated Standard Drug Price (SDP) of ₱476,000.
Police also confiscated a brown coin purse, a black plastic drinking straw, and three ₱100 bills used as marked money during the buy-bust transaction.
According to the initial investigation, the suspect is a third-time offender for violations of the country’s anti-drug law, having previously been arrested for the same offense in 2018.
Investigators disclosed that the suspect had previously worked as a habal-habal (motorcycle taxi) driver, but allegedly turned back to illegal drug trafficking after claiming that his earnings were insufficient to support his daily needs. Authorities said selling illegal drugs eventually became his primary source of income.
Following his arrest, the suspect was brought to the custody of the Iligan City Police Office for documentation and proper disposition.
Authorities are preparing charges for violations of Section 5 (Sale of Dangerous Drugs) and Section 11 (Possession of Dangerous Drugs), Article II of Republic Act No. 9165, also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Meanwhile, the confiscated suspected shabu has been turned over to the Iligan City Forensic Unit for qualitative and quantitative laboratory examination as part of the case build-up.
The successful operation forms part of the intensified anti-illegal drug campaign of law enforcement agencies in Northern Mindanao aimed at dismantling drug networks and apprehending individuals involved in the illegal drug trade.