LAWMEN have arrested three suspects as they seized around P34 million worth of illegal drugs in an anti-drug operation in downtown Zamboanga City, the police said Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
The police identified the arrested suspects through their aliases as Kasmir, 32, of Talon-Talon village, Zamboanga City; Adong, 32, a native of Bongao, Tawi-Tawi; and, Ardison, 40, a native of Jolo, Sulu.
Police Colonel Narciso Paragas, deputy regional director for operations (DRDO) of the Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula, said the suspects were arrested in a buy-bust around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, at the basement parking lot of a shopping mall in Zone 4 village, Zamboanga City.
Seized from the suspects were five kilograms of shabu packed in five vacuum sealed transparent plastic bags worth P34 million.
Paragas said the operatives noted the plastic bags containing the shabu bore the numerical marking of "666."
Also seized were bundles of counterfeit money topped with one genuine and marked P1,000 bill used in the anti-drug operation, a pick-up truck, and other non-drug pieces of evidence.
He said the suspects were detained while charges are being readied to be filed against them for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
The anti-drug operation as launched by operatives of the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit-9 with the support of other police units and Naval intelligence personnel. (SunStar Zamboanga)