A 19-YEAR-OLD street-level individual (SLI) was arrested for selling and possessing suspected shabu weighing approximately 40 grams, with an estimated value of P272,000, during a buy-bust operation conducted by the Mina Municipal Police Station (MPS) in Barangay Tolarucan, Mina, Iloilo, on Friday night, August 29, 2025.
The suspect, identified as alias Rap-rap, male, single, and a resident of Mina, was caught around 9:10 p.m. Police recovered one small sachet and two big sachets of suspected shabu, buy-bust money, and other non-drug paraphernalia.
Police Brigadier General Josefino Ligan, regional director of the Police Regional Office in Western Visayas (PRO 6), commended the swift action of the Mina police and stressed the police force’s resolve to continue its campaign against illegal drugs.
“We remain firm in our campaign against illegal drugs. It is deeply concerning that even our youth are being drawn into these unlawful activities," Ligan said.
PRO 6 remains committed to protecting communities, particularly the younger generation, from the threat of drugs, according to Ligan.
The suspect is in police custody and faces charges for violating Section 5 (sale of dangerous drugs) and Section 11 (possession of dangerous drugs) of Republic Act (RA) 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Section 5 carries a penalty of life imprisonment and a fine ranging from P500,000 to P10 million. Section 11 likewise imposes life imprisonment and a fine ranging from P500,000 to P10 million.
PRO 6 assured the public that anti-drug operations will continue to be intensified across Western Visayas as part of its effort to keep communities safe. (Leo Solinap/SunStar Philippines)