8 drug suspects busted in Zamboanga City and Lanao del Norte operations
Eight drug suspects were arrested and approximately P13.6 million worth of suspected shabu was confiscated in three separate operations by PDEA-9 and local police in Zamboanga City and Lanao del Norte.
Eight drug suspects were arrested by PDEA-9 (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Region 9) and local police in coordinated buy-bust operations on Saturday in Zamboanga City and Tubod, Lanao del Norte, with approximately P13.6 million worth of suspected shabu seized. The operations were conducted as part of the national anti-drug campaign and involved multiple law enforcement agencies working together.
In Zamboanga City, the first arrest involved a suspect known as 'Brandon' who was apprehended in a buy-bust operation on Corcuera Street, Barangay Zone IV. Authorities confiscated 1 kilogram of shabu with an estimated street value of P6.8 million, along with buy-bust money, an Android phone, a Hyundai sedan, and other items. The second operation in Zamboanga City resulted in the arrest of two suspects identified as 'Ben' and 'Arnold' outside a bar in Barangay Canelar by PDEA-Sulu and Zamboanga City police. They were found in possession of 0.5 kilogram of shabu valued at P3.4 million.
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In Lanao del Norte, five suspects were arrested during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Kakai Renabor, Tubod. The suspects were identified as 'Hasmin,' 'S,' 'Dul,' and 'Patrick Daryl,' who were residents of Tubod and Pagadian City. They were found with 390 grams of shabu in sachets with an estimated value of P3.4 million. All arrested suspects face inquest proceedings and will be charged under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 (Republic Act 9165).
PDEA-9 Regional Director Bryan Bab highlighted the success of these operations as part of the intensified national anti-drug campaign, crediting the effective inter-agency collaboration between PDEA and local police units. The operations demonstrate the continued efforts of Philippine law enforcement agencies to combat the illegal drug trade in Mindanao, particularly in the Zamboanga Peninsula region. The separate arrests and seizures in different locations within the same day indicate coordinated planning and execution by anti-drug operatives.
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