A 44-year-old woman listed as a high-value individual (HVI) was arrested in a police anti-drug operation early Wednesday, with authorities seizing over P400,000 worth of suspected ‘shabu’ (crystal meth), according to the province’s top police official.
Police Col. Heryl Bruno, director of the Nueva Ecija Provincial Police Office, said the suspect – a resident of Barangay Pias, General Tinio – was caught during a buy-bust operation around 1 a.m. in Barangay San Mariano, San Antonio town.
She was apprehended after allegedly handing over a sachet of suspected shabu to an undercover operative in exchange for a P1,000 marked bill.
Upon her arrest, operatives from the San Antonio Municipal Police Station reportedly confiscated 55.75 grams of shabu, valued at approximately P379,100, from her possession. The marked money used in the transaction was also recovered, Bruno confirmed.
The suspect will face charges for violating Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
‘The HVI has been subjected to a weeklong series of surveillance operations, which eventually led to her arrest. We are conducting further and thorough investigations to identify and arrest other drug traders connected to her network,’ Bruno said