POLICE arrested three high-value drug suspects and seized more than P2.65 million worth of shabu in separate buy-busts in Iloilo province and Iloilo City on June 2, 2026.
The operations were part of an intensified campaign by the Police Regional Office in Western Visayas (PRO 6) to disrupt the regional drug supply chain.
In Pototan town, operatives of the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit arrested a regional priority target and a high-value individual around 5:10 p.m. in Barangay Polot-an. Police identified the suspects by their aliases: Mike, 33, and Joven, 27.
Authorities confiscated about 315 grams of shabu with a standard price of P2,142,000 following a week of surveillance. The operation recovered 13 sachets, three knot-tied plastic bags, and buy-bust money.
The sting was conducted with assistance from the Regional Intelligence Unit, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Group Special Operations Unit 6, and the Pototan Municipal Police Station.
Later that evening, at 11:57 p.m., personnel from Iloilo City Police Station 2 conducted a separate operation in Zone 3, Barangay Lopez Jaena Norte, La Paz District, Iloilo City.
Police arrested a 43-year-old suspect known as alias Rambo after he allegedly sold illegal drugs to an undercover officer. Operatives seized seven sachets of shabu weighing about 75 grams, with an estimated street value of P510,000.
Police Brigadier General Randulf Tuaño, acting regional director of PRO 6, commended the operating units for both successful operations.
"The arrest of a Regional Priority Target and the seizure of more than P2.14 million worth of suspected shabu significantly disrupted the illegal drug supply chain in Western Visayas," Tuaño said regarding the Pototan bust.
He added that the subsequent La Paz operation "reflects the sustained vigilance and intensified anti-illegal drug campaign of PRO 6 against high-value drug personalities."
All three suspects are in police custody and face charges for violating Sections 5 and 11 of Republic Act 9165, also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, which covers the illegal sale and possession of dangerous drugs. (Leo Solinap)