ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY — Separate anti-drug campaigns by the Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Police Office (ZSBPPO), led by Provincial Director Barnard Danie V. Dasugo, resulted in the arrest of seven suspects and the seizure of suspected shabu worth roughly ₱66,300.
The operatives have also confiscated a homemade improvised shotgun during operations across the province on October 23 and 24.
Tungawan
A joint operation by the Tungawan MPS, the 903rd RMFB 9 and the 106th IB PA executed a search warrant at around 9:50 p.m. on October 23 in Purok 5, Barangay Tigpalay.
A male suspect was arrested and authorities confiscated 12 small heat-sealed sachets of suspected shabu weighing about 5 grams (estimated SDP value: ₱34,000) and one improvised shotgun.
Titay
Lawmen conducted two separate buy-bust operations. The first, at approximately 10:00 p.m. on October 23 in Purok Pag-asa, Barangay Poblacion, resulted in the arrest of a female suspect and the seizure of four sachets (≈1 gram) of suspected shabu valued at ₱6,800.
The second, at about 2:10 a.m. on October 24 in Purok Acacia, Barangay Poblacion, led to the arrest of two male suspects and the confiscation of five sachets (≈1 gram) of suspected shabu (also valued at ₱6,800).
Ipil
A buy-bust around 5:30 p.m. on October 23 in Purok New Jerusalem, Don Andres, resulted in the arrest of a male suspect and the seizure of six sachets (≈0.95 gram) of suspected shabu.
Authorities placed the amount of the seized item at ₱6,460.
Kabasalan
At around 2:40 p.m. on October 23 in Purok 1, Barangay Peñaranda, Kabasalan, lawmen arrested a male suspect during a buy-bust operation.
Police recovered five sachets (≈1 gram) of suspected shabu valued at ₱6,800.
Mabuhay
A buy-bust at about 2:00 p.m. on October 23 in District 3, Punawan, Mabuhay led to the arrest of a male suspect.
Police operatives confiscated five small green plastic straws containing suspected shabu (≈0.8 gram) valued at ₱5,440.
All arrested suspects were brought to their respective municipal police stations for processing, while the seized drug items were turned over to the Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Forensic Unit for quantitative and qualitative examination.
Colonel Dasugo hailed the success of the operations.
“I commend all the operating units for the successful conduct of these anti-drug operations. Their dedication, vigilance, and unwavering commitment to safeguarding the community are truly commendable. We will continue to intensify our efforts to keep our communities safe and free from illegal drugs,” he said.
The province’s recent wave of arrests comes amid larger anti-narcotics efforts in the region.
In August 2025, authorities in the Zamboanga Peninsula reported drug hauls exceeding ₱1.1-billion, with the largest single seizure reaching about ₱605 million.
Meanwhile, the provincial office of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency – Region IX has flagged Zamboanga Sibugay as an “area of concern,” citing an evident presence of illegal-drug activity.
The ZSBPPO actions signal concerted local enforcement efforts, aligning with national priorities to stem the flow of synthetic drugs. Yet the relatively modest value of the haul in these operations (₱66,300) underscores the challenge. Numerous small busts are critical, but analysts point out that large-scale trafficking remains a deeper problem for the region.
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