TWO drug dens located in different areas of Cebu City were raided by members of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 7 (PDEA 7) on Wednesday, January 7, 2026.
The most recent raid was conducted at 5:50 p.m. in Sitio San Jose, Barangay Sambag 1, Cebu City, resulting in the rescue of two minors and the arrest of five others.
PDEA 7 Director Joel Plaza identified the targets of the operation who ran the drug den as aliases Gasya, 51, and his companion alias Peejey, 30, both residents of the area.
Among those arrested were five individuals caught using shabu inside the den: alias Christian, 27, from Sambag 1; alias Louie, 50, a construction painter from Talamban; alias Glenn, 43, a construction worker from Talamban; alias Jessa, 32, a production operator from Busay; and alias Henry, 49, a driver from Malabuyoc.
The two rescued minors, aged 12 and 16, both from Sambag 1, are now in the custody of the Cebu City Social Welfare and Development Office for intervention.
PDEA 7 operatives seized 19 packets of shabu weighing eight grams, with an estimated market value of P54,400, along with buy-bust money and various drug paraphernalia.
Meanwhile, another drug den in Sitio Pablo, Barangay Labangon, Cebu City, was raided by PDEA 7 at 2:22 p.m. on the same day, resulting in the arrest of three individuals.
The suspects were identified as alias Alvin, 45, the target and operator of the den; and two others inside the den, aliases Tereso, 46, and Jaime, 24, both construction workers residing in Barangay Labangon.
The PDEA 7 and police also seized seven packets of shabu weighing 10 grams, with an estimated value of P68,000, along with various drug paraphernalia.
The seized pieces of evidence have been submitted to the PDEA 7 Regional Office Laboratory for chemical examination, while the suspects are now in the custody of the PDEA 7 detention facility in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City.
According to Leia Alcantara, information officer of PDEA 7, the Sambag 1 drug den was under a two-week case buildup following information from a trusted source.
Alias Glenn had previously been arrested in a separate illegal drugs case in 2019 but was released following a plea bargain.
The Labangon drug den had been under case buildup since October 2025, with the suspect reportedly selling up to 35 grams of shabu per week.
Cases have been prepared against the suspects, who face the maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a P10 million fine, while those caught inside the dens may face up to 20 years imprisonment and a P500,000 fine. (AYB)