Suspected shabu valued at P13.6 million was seized in a buy-bust operation in Bolinao town, Pangasinan province on Wednesday.
Two high-value individuals were arrested and two kilos of shabu were recovered in the operation in Purok 4, Barangay Ilog-Malino.
In a statement Thursday, acting Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police Lt. Gen. Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the successful operation proves that the police's anti-illegal drugs campaign remains "steadfast and unrelenting."
"Every successful interdiction not only weakens criminal networks but also protects countless lives from the harm caused by these dangerous substances," he said.
PNP spokesperson Police Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño said the success of the operation highlights the importance of proactive policing and sustained inter-agency collaboration.
"The continued partnership between the PNP, PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency), and local units proves that teamwork is our strongest weapon against illegal drugs, keeping every community safe," he said.
The suspects – a 44-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman, both residents of Bolinao – are now under the custody of the Bolinao Municipal Police Station while the confiscated narcotics were turned over to the PNP Drug Enforcement Group-Special Operations Unit 3 for documentation and further investigation.
Last month, 895 kilograms of shabu valued at nearly P6.1 billion were found in a house in Barangay Laois, Labrador town, Pangasinan, during the implementation of a search warrant.
The drugs were seized during a follow-up operation in connection with the arrest of a Chinese national and his Filipino driver in Barangay Polong, Bugallon town, Pangasinan where authorities confiscated 125 kilograms of shabu packed in plastic tea bags worth P850 million. (PNA)