FOUR drug suspects, including a high-value individual (HVI), were arrested and around 2.06 kilograms of shabu worth P14,008,000 were seized in a buy-bust in Barangay Maya, Balasan, Iloilo.
The arrest happened at 1:35 a.m. Friday, February 20, 2026, after nearly four months of intelligence monitoring by the Police Regional Office in Western Visayas (PRO 6).
Police Brigadier General Josefino Ligan, regional director of the Police PRO 6, commended the operating units for the successful operation.
“This accomplishment underscores our firm and sustained campaign against illegal drugs, especially targeting high-value personalities who attempt to operate in our provinces. The confiscation of more than two kilos of shabu is a significant blow to the local drug network and prevents these illegal substances from destroying more lives,” Ligan said.
Arrested were alias Bimboy, 46, a resident of Barangay Gogo, Estancia, Iloilo, who has been listed under the Regional Target Priority List and classified as an HVI; alias Domingo, 63, a resident of Barangay Maya, Balasan, Iloilo, classified as a street-value individual (SVI); alias Jose, 22, a resident of Barangay Poblacion Norte, Balasan, Iloilo, also an SVI; and alias Concepcion, 21, a resident of Barangay Ipil, Balasan, Iloilo, also an SVI.
Recovered during the operation were 17 heat-sealed plastic sachets and four knot-tied transparent plastic packs containing shabu weighing approximately 2,060 grams, buy-bust money, one caliber .38 revolver loaded with one live ammunition, and other non-drug items.
The operation was led by the Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU) Team 3 with support from the Balasan Municipal Police Station (MPS) and the Provincial Intelligence Unit (PIU) of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (Ippo).
Authorities said the operation was the result of nearly four months of intensive intelligence monitoring, surveillance and validation, strengthened by timely information from concerned community members.
Charges for violation of Sections 5 (Illegal Sale of Dangerous Drugs), 11 (Illegal Possession of Dangerous Drugs), and 26 (Conspiracy to Commit Illegal Drug Offenses) of Republic Act (RA) 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, will be filed against the suspects.
A separate charge for violation of RA 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, will also be filed against Bimboy in connection with the seized firearm.
The PRO 6 said intensified and intelligence-driven operations will continue across the region to curb illegal drugs and strengthen community safety. (Leo Solinap)