Nearly half a million peso worth of suspected shabu was seized from a jobless man in a buy-bust operation at Barangay 1 in Bacolod City late evening of Thursday, June 16.

However, Captain Paul Vincent Pendon, station 2 commander, said Arnel Sitjar, 40, of Purok Kagagkay in the city’s Barangay 2 is not in their drugs watch list yet.

Although the suspect is considered as a high value individual and belongs to an illegal drug group, Pendon said Sitjar is a newly identified drug personality.

Aside from illegal drug trade, Sitjar was arrested previously for illegal gambling and also for cable theft, he said.

Sitjar was arrested after he transacted to a poseur buyer at about 10 p.m. along Aguinaldo- 25th Streets in Barangay 1.

Upon his arrest, policemen recovered from Sitjar’s possession 13 sachets of suspected shabu weighing 65 grams and valued at P442,000, the P1,000 marked money and P129,000 boodle money, police records showed.

Sitjar’s arrest was a joint effort of Police Station 2 and the Philippine National Police Drugs Enforcement Group.

The suspect is detained at the custodial facility of Police Station 2. He will be charged for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.