DAVAO CITY — A drug den was dismantled and four suspected drug personalities were arrested during a buy-bust operation conducted by anti-narcotics and law enforcement authorities in Davao City on Friday night, August 21, 2026.
The operation, which took place at around 8:20 p.m. at 88 Artiaga Street, Purok 3, Barangay 33-D, was carried out by the Regional Special Enforcement Team (RSET) of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Regional Office 11 (PDEA RO11), in coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation Southeastern Mindanao Regional Office 11 (NBI SEMRO 11) and the City Mobile Force Company (CMFC).
Authorities identified the alleged drug den maintainer as alias “Eric,” 60, who was arrested after he allegedly sold one sachet of suspected shabu worth ₱1,000 to a PDEA poseur-buyer during the operation.
Also arrested were alias “Marvin,” identified by authorities as an alleged employee of the drug den, and aliases “Rodrigo” and “Wencesito,” who were identified as visitors at the suspected drug den when the operation was conducted.
The operation resulted in the seizure of nine sachets of suspected shabu of varying sizes, with an estimated combined weight of approximately 20 grams and an estimated standard market value of ₱136,000.
Operatives also confiscated assorted drug paraphernalia and the marked money used during the buy-bust transaction.
The successful operation effectively disrupted what authorities described as a drug den operating within a residential community in Davao City, while also placing four individuals under police custody for possible prosecution under the country’s anti-drug law.
PDEA Regional Office 11 Regional Director Atty. Benjamin G. Gaspi commended the RSET, NBI SEMRO 11, CMFC, and other personnel involved in the operation for their coordination and cooperation.
Gaspi stressed the agency’s continued commitment to dismantling drug dens and preventing the distribution and proliferation of illegal drugs in communities across the region.
The four arrested suspects are set to face charges for alleged violations of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, as amended.
The confiscated suspected illegal drugs and other pieces of evidence will undergo the appropriate examination and documentation procedures as authorities prepare the cases against the arrested individuals.
The operation underscores the continuing campaign of law enforcement agencies in Davao Region against drug trafficking and drug dens, particularly establishments allegedly being used as venues for the sale and use of illegal substances.