IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay — Police arrested a 43-year-old man identified as a high-value individual on the PNP/PDEA Watchlist and seized 74 grams of suspected shabu along with a caliber .45 pistol and ammunition during a search warrant operation in Barangay Caparan, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, on September 12, 2026.
The operation was carried out at around 12:45 p.m. by personnel of the Ipil Municipal Police Station, led by PMAJ Marjan M. Sali, OIC, in coordination with the Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit of the Zamboanga Sibugay Police Provincial Office (PDEU-ZSBPPO) and other operating units.
Authorities implemented Search Warrant Nos. 330 and 331, issued on September 9, 2026, by the presiding judge of the Regional Trial Court Branch 24, 9th Judicial Region, in Ipil, for alleged violations of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, and Republic Act No. 10591, or the Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition.
Joining the operation were personnel from the 2nd Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Mobile Force Company, 903rd Regional Mobile Force Battalion 9, Zamboanga Sibugay Maritime Police Station, and the Bravo Company of the 106th Infantry Battalion.
The suspect, identified by authorities as alias “Bass,” is married, works as a rubber tapper, and is a resident of Purok BIDC, Barangay Caparan.
Police said they recovered 13 heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets containing a white crystalline substance believed to be shabu. The seized substance had an estimated total weight of 74 grams and a reported Standard Drug Price of ₱503,200.
Also seized during the operation was a caliber .45 pistol with a serial number, six live caliber .45 ammunition and one empty caliber .45 magazine.
Authorities likewise recovered items allegedly associated with drug use or other activities, including three lighters, used aluminum foil, a screwdriver, scissors, a sling bag, a wallet and an ice cream container.
The suspected drugs were brought to the Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Forensic Unit for laboratory examination, while the arrested suspect was taken to the Ipil Municipal Police Station for proper disposition.
Police said appropriate charges for alleged violations of R.A. No. 9165 and R.A. No. 10591 are being prepared for filing before the court.
Zamboanga Sibugay Police Provincial Office Provincial Director PCOL Barnard Danie V. Dasugo said the police would continue operations against individuals involved in the illegal drug trade and the proliferation of loose firearms.
“There is no room in our province for illegal drugs and firearms used to violate the law,” Dasugo said, stressing that law enforcement operations against high-value individuals and other targets would continue.
He also emphasized that every police operation must be conducted within the bounds of the law, with accountability and respect for the rights of every individual.
The ZSBPPO said it remains committed to dismantling the illegal drug trade, curbing the proliferation of loose firearms, and strengthening public safety and security across Zamboanga Sibugay.
The seized substance remains subject to forensic examination, and the allegations against the arrested suspect will undergo the appropriate legal proceedings.