AUTHORITIES arrested an alleged big-time illegal drug trader and seized some P455.6 million worth of shabu following a chase in Zamboanga City late Tuesday, August 19, 2025.
Police Colonel Narciso Paragas, Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula assistant director for operations, identified the arrested suspect as alias Mohammad Ikram, 46, a resident of Divisoria village, 6.2 kilometers west of Zamboanga City Hall.
Paragas said Ikram was arrested around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, August 19, in Zone 1, Bunguiao village, 35 kilometers east of Zamboanga City Hall.
Ikram’s wife and son, who were with him in the vehicle, sustained injuries and were rushed to the hospital. The suspect’s hand was also fractured.
Paragas said a chase ensued when the suspect sensed he was transacting illegal drugs with undercover policemen.
At the height of the chase, checkpoints were set up in different parts of the city.
The suspect evaded and drove toward Bunguiao, an interior village, after seeing a checkpoint along the highway in Sangali village, 25 kilometers east of Zamboanga City Hall.
The suspect then lost control of the steering wheel, causing the vehicle he was driving to plunge into a rice field.
Seized from the suspect were two pieces of luggage containing 67 kilos of suspected shabu worth P455.6 million.
The suspect told the police he was supposed to transport the illegal drugs for a fee to Iligan City.
Ikram’s arrest came a day after authorities arrested a high-value target (HVT) in a buy-bust operation in Canelar village, Zamboanga City.
The HVT suspect, identified as alias Badri, 52, was arrested on Monday, August 18, and yielded some P27.2 million worth of suspected shabu.
Police are investigating whether Ikram has ties with Badri, a former soldier turned businessman and a resident of Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur. (SunStar Zamboanga)