Anti-drug operatives arrested a high-value personality, as they seized 500 grams of suspected shabu (crystal meth) estimated to be worth P3.4 million during a drug buy bust operation in Barangay Sinunuc, Zamboanga City, on Monday.
Maj. Shellamie Chang, public information officer of the Police Regional Office IX, told the Inquirer that a 32-year-old male suspect, a native of Barangay Kajatian, Indanan town of Sulu province, and currently residing in Zamboanga City, was arrested during the operation.
Operatives turned the seized items over to the Regional Forensic Unit 9 for laboratory examination, as they brought the arrested suspect to the Zamboanga City Police Office detention facility, awaiting the filing of a case against him for violating Republic Act 9165, also known as the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
The drug buy bust came only three days after Brig. General Edwin Quilates, the new regional director of the Zamboanga Peninsula Police, just assumed his post as Police Regional Office-IX’s 40th regional director.
Before he assumed the post on November 14, Quilates served as the director of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Drug Enforcement Group (DEG).
He was among the eight ranking police officials given new posts in the latest PNP reshuffle.
Outgoing Regional Director Brig. Gen. Eleazar Matta was transferred as the deputy director of the PNP’s Directorate for Information and Communications Technology Management