Bohol buy-bust: ₱8.8M shabu, firearm seized; 2 nabbed in Panglao
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police seized more than ₱8.8 million worth of suspected shabu and arrested two alleged drug personalities during a buy-bust operation in Panglao, Bohol Province on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
The Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO) said that the operation ranks among the most significant drug seizures in the province in recent years.
Large-volume seizure
Operatives of BPPO’s intelligence and drug enforcement units carried out the operation shortly before noon in Purok 6, Barangay Libaong. They coordinated with the Panglao Municipal Police Station.
Police said that they confiscated approximately 1,296.4 grams of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride, commonly known as shabu, with an estimated standard drug price of ₱8,815,520.
Police identified one of the suspects as a 48-year-old businessman and resident of Barangay Libaong, tagged as a top-priority illegal drug personality. They arrested him alongside a 41-year-old man from Tagbilaran City, identified as his cohort.
Operatives also recovered a 9mm pistol with a magazine and live ammunition, along with several non-drug items believed to be connected to the illegal activity.
Authorities noted the recovery of a firearm alongside a large quantity of drugs as a serious concern in high-level drug operations.
Police said that the volume of drugs recovered indicated large-scale distribution, noting that the seized shabu could have supplied a significant portion of the local market had it not been intercepted.
Suspects remain in custody
As of Wednesday, Feb. 18, the two suspects remained under police custody while criminal complaints for violations of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act are being prepared.
The seized drug evidence is set to undergo laboratory examination as part of case buildup, while investigators continue to look into connections related to the operation.
Panglao is one of the main tourism destinations in Bohol Province and the site of the Bohol-Panglao International Airport.
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