In a dramatic turn of events in Zamboanga City, law enforcement officials have apprehended three high-value targets and confiscated a staggering P15.6 million worth of shabu during a meticulously planned buy-bust operation. The operation, which unfolded near a hospital, saw the arrest of two factory workers, aged 66 and 30, and a 42-year-old driver, all caught in the act along Vitaliano Agan Avenue in Barangay Camino Nuevo at around 11:45 a.m. on Monday.
The operation took a tense turn when an armed accomplice of the arrested trio managed to flee the scene in a pick-up truck, sparking a chase that ended with gunfire. The suspect’s vehicle was later found abandoned near a school in Barangay Sta. Catalina, about a kilometer from the initial operation site.
The haul from the arrested suspects included approximately two kilograms of shabu, divided into 47 heat-sealed plastic sachets, along with a Piaggio three-wheeled vehicle, two mobile phones, and the money used in the buy-bust. The operation was initiated a week after the suspects agreed to the transaction, with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Zamboanga Peninsula (PDEA-9) leading the charge, supported by local police forces.
In the wake of this operation, PDEA-Zamboanga Peninsula has ramped up its efforts against drug trafficking, forging stronger ties with the Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM). A recent meeting between PDEA-9 Director Maharani Gadaoni-Tosoc and NFWM Commander Rear Admiral Francisco Tagamolila Jr. focused on enhancing intelligence-sharing, joint operations, and maritime interdiction to curb drug smuggling through the region’s waters.