LAWMEN have arrested seven suspects and seized some P519,520 worth of illegal drugs in separate law enforcement operations in two Bangsamoro provinces and Lanao del Norte, officials said Sunday, December 7, 2025.
The bulk of the illegal drugs was confiscated in the Bangsamoro province of Maguindanao del Norte.
Police Brigadier General Jaysen De Guzman, Police Regional Office–Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (Pro-Bar) director, said some 55 grams of suspected shabu worth P374,000 were seized in an anti-illegal drug operation on Friday, December 5, in Poblacion Dalican village, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte.
De Guzman identified the arrested suspect as alias Halil, of legal age, classified as a high-value individual.
Halil was apprehended in a successful intelligence-driven operation made possible through strong support from the local community.
He is currently under the custody of the Datu Odin Sinsuat Municipal Police Station along with the confiscated evidence for proper disposition.
Police Colonel Leo De Leon Sua, Lanao del Norte police director, said operatives arrested alias Mer, 27, in a law enforcement operation around 8:20 p.m. Friday, December 5, in Purok 2A, Magoong village, Linamon town.
Sua said recovered from the suspect’s residence during the implementation of a search warrant were some 15 grams of suspected shabu worth P102,000.
Also recovered during the implementation of the search warrant for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 were illegal drug paraphernalia and a coin purse.
Mer is currently under the custody of the Linamon Municipal Police Station for documentation and further disposition.
Sua said alias Bakang, 39, a street-level individual, was arrested in a buy-bust operation around 10:20 p.m. Friday in Purok Ipil-Ipil, Maranding village, Lala, Lanao del Norte.
“He (Bakang) was apprehended after a police officer acting as poseur-buyer successfully purchased from him one heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet containing suspected shabu with an estimated street value of P680,” Sua said.
Seized from Bakang were some 3.60 grams of suspected shabu worth P24,800, illegal drug paraphernalia, and P500 marked money.
Sua said the suspect will be charged for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Four street-level individuals, including a woman, were arrested in a buy-bust operation on Friday, December 5, in Laul Ilian village, Marantao, in the Bangsamoro province of Lanao del Sur.
Police Colonel Caezar Cabuhat, Lanao del Sur police director, identified the suspects by their aliases as Salma, Cairo, Ash, and Oding, all of legal age.
Cabuhat said seized from the four suspects were some 2.8 grams of suspected shabu packed in 17 heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets, P500 marked money, and two improvised glass tubes.
They were detained at the Marantao Municipal Police Station in preparation for the filing of charges against them. (SunStar Zamboanga)