A CONSTRUCTION worker was arrested while some P678,572 worth of illegal drugs were seized in an anti-drug operation in the province of Zamboanga del Sur, the police reported Wednesday, January 25, 2023.

Police Brigadier General Neil Alinsañgan, Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula director, identified the arrested suspect as Ibrahim Maninao Maganona alias Ian, 35, a resident of Purok 6 in Kartimko village, Sultan Naga Dimpaoro, Lanao del Norte.

Alinsañgan said Maganona was arrested in a buy-bust operation around 1:46 p.m. Tuesday, January 24, in Zone 6, Muricay village, Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur.

He said the buy-bust operation was launched following series of surveillance on the involvement of the suspect in the illegal drug trade.

Alinsañgan said seized from the suspect were 99.79 grams of suspected shabu packed in two jumbo-sized heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets worth P678,572, a tricycle, a cellular phone, a sling bag, and P500 marked money placed on top of a bundle of boodle money.

He said the arrested suspect was taken to the Zamboanga del Sur Medical Center for physical examination and was placed under the custody of Pagadian City Police Station. (SunStar Zamboanga)