Government anti-narcotics authorities seized on Sunday, Nov. 16, P900,000 worth of shabu following the arrest of a drug den maintainer during a buy-bust operation in Antipolo City, Rizal province, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) stated.

In a statement, the PDEA said that high-value target (HVT) alias Joel was collared at around 2 a.m. at Sitio Pinyahan in Barangay San Jose but his cohorts Korean-American national alias Choi Minsoo and alias Pai eluded arrest during the operation.

Aside from the more or less 300 grams of shabu, authorities also confiscated three plastic bottles containing liquid shabu, controlled precursors and essential chemicals (CPEC), various drug paraphernalia and the buy-bust money.

After the arrest of one of the suspects and confiscation of the illegal drugs during the operation, the operatives immediately dismantled the drug den.

The suspects face charges for violation of Section 5 (Sale of Illegal Drugs) in relation to Section 26 paragraph b (Conspiracy to Sell Dangerous Drugs), Section 8 (Manufacture of Dangerous Drugs and/or CPECs), Section 10 (Manufacture or Delivery of Equipment, Instruments, Apparatus and other Paraphernalia for Dangerous Drugs and/or CPECs) and Section 11 (Possession of Dangerous Drugs), Article II of Republic Act (RA) 9165 or “The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.’’

The operation was carried out by the PDEA Regional Office 4A Special Enforcement Team 1 and 2, PDEA Rizal Provincial and the Rizal Provincial Intelligence Team.