A HIGH-VALUE individual (HVI) was arrested and about 380 grams of shabu were confiscated during a buy-bust operation by the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit (RPDEU) in Western Visayas in Barangay Alegre, Oton, Iloilo at 10:55 p.m. on September 14, 2025.
The suspect, identified as alias Dagul, 36, single, and a resident of Barangay Alegre, was caught after selling one sachet of suspected shabu to a police poseur-buyer in exchange for P14,000 in marked money.
Police also seized nine plastic sachets and two plastic bags of shabu, buy-bust money, and other non-drug items from his possession.
Police Brigadier General Josefino Ligan, regional director of the Police Regional Office in Western Visayas (PRO 6), praised the team’s efforts and reaffirmed the police’s stance against illegal drugs.
“This is another major blow to the illegal drug trade in Western Visayas. I commend our operatives for their dedication and teamwork," he said.
Ligan, issued a stern warning to drug personalities, affirming that the organization will continue its fight to protect communities from illegal drugs.
The operation was led by the RPDEU in Western Visayas with the support of Oton Municipal Police Station (MPS), Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU), Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO), Philippine Drug Enforcement Group – Special Operations Unit 6 (PDEG-SOU 6), and Regional Intelligence Division (RID) 6.
The suspect is detained and will face charges for violating Sections 5 and 11 of Republic Act (RA) 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Section 5 covers the sale of dangerous drugs, while Section 11 pertains to possession of dangerous drugs. Both carry penalties of life imprisonment and fines ranging from P500,000 to P10 million. (Leo Solinap/SunStar Philippines)