P100,000 Worth of Shabu Seized in Bukidnon Drug Sting; Suspect Nabbed

A midnight drug sting operation in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, on Sunday, September 6, resulted in the arrest of a suspect and the seizure of suspected shabu worth over P100,000. Col. Oliver Sotto Navales, provincial director of the Bukidnon Police Provincial Office, reported to regional director Brig. Gen. Nestor Babagay Jr. that operatives from the Malaybalay City Police Station Drug Enforcement Unit, the 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company, and the Provincial Intelligence Unit conducted the operation around 1:20 a.m. The 48-year-old suspect, identified only as “Magins,” was entrapped in Purok 6, Barangay Casisang. Authorities seized eight heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets containing suspected shabu, weighing 15.148 grams, with an estimated street value of P103,006. Also confiscated from the suspect were a P1,000 bill, a black wallet, and a gold Isuzu Crosswind SUV (plate number KDU 601). The seized narcotics were transferred to the Bukidnon Provincial Forensic Unit for qualitative and quantitative analysis. The suspect remains detained at the Malaybalay City Police Station for documentation and proper disposition. He faces charges for allegedly violating Sections 5 (sale of illegal drugs) and 11 (possession of illegal drugs), Article II of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 (RA 9165). Drug trafficking remains a significant concern in the Philippines, particularly in regional areas, with authorities continuing to intensify enforcement operations. However, the apprehension of street-level dealers highlights the ongoing challenge of dismantling larger drug supply networks.