AN ALLEGED leader of a drug syndicate was arrested, while more than P80,000 worth of illegal drugs was seized in an anti-drug operation in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay, the police reported Friday, December 4, 2020.

Police Captain Edwin Duco, Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula information officer, identified the arrested leader of a drug syndicate as Alejandro Barriga, Jr., 50, who is also a real estate agent.

Duco said Barriga, the Agnas drug syndicate leader, was arrested by joint team of police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in a buy-bust operation around 9:40 p.m. Thursday in Purok Ipil-Ipil in Veterans village, Ipil, the capital of Zamboanga Sibugay province.

Seized from Barriga were some 12 grams of suspected shabu packed in heat-sealed plastic sachets with an estimated worth of P81,600, a sling bag, a pouch, and 28 pieces of P1,000 bills boodle money topped with one genuine P1,000 bill.

He said the suspect was detained while charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 will be filed against him. (SunStar Zamboanga)