ZAMBOANGA CITY — Anti-narcotics operatives successfully disrupted a major illegal drug trade on Easter Sunday, resulting in the arrest of a high-value suspect and the recovery of approximately PHP 6.8 million worth of suspected shabu. The joint operation, carried out by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and local police, took place at around 7:38 a.m. in Barangay Lunzuran.
Bryan Babang, Director of the PDEA-Zamboanga Peninsula (PDEA-9), identified the apprehended suspect as a 37-year-old motorcycle taxi driver known by the alias “Mahadil.” The arrest was the culmination of a targeted buy-bust operation where undercover agents moved in after the illicit transaction was initiated.
“Seized from the suspect were four heat-sealed transparent plastic packs containing suspected shabu weighing about 1,000 grams,” Babang said in his report. Along with the kilogram of narcotics, authorities also recovered five bundles of “boodle money” used in the sting and various identification cards belonging to the suspect.
This significant haul follows another high-stakes encounter on March 31, where two individuals were arrested and PHP 3.4 million worth of suspected shabu was confiscated. That incident, occurring at the boundary of Tungawan, Zamboanga Sibugay, and Barangay Licomo, Zamboanga City, escalated into a shootout that left one of the suspects wounded.
Babang stated that “Mahadil” is currently in custody as investigators prepare to file formal charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act. The string of recent operations highlights an intensified effort by regional law enforcement to curb the transport and distribution of high-volume narcotics in the Zamboanga Peninsula.|
