Manila: Police arrested a female drug suspect and seized suspected shabu with an estimated street value of PHP4.08 million during a buy-bust operation in Pili, Camarines Sur.

According to Philippines News Agency, Police Regional Office (PRO) 5 (Bicol) Director, Brig. Gen. Nestor Babagay Jr., identified the suspect as alias Leila, 37, of Kalubihon, Dalipuga, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte. The suspect was apprehended while selling 50 grams of suspected shabu to a police poseur-buyer for PHP100,000 in marked money.

A subsequent search led to the recovery of five knot-tied plastic bags and one heat-sealed plastic sachet, all containing suspected shabu weighing 550 grams. In an interview, Babagay stated that the recent series of successful operations and the increasing number of arrests in the Bicol region result from a “strengthened, intelligence-driven police strategy.”

Babagay explained that each operation is the outcome of meticulous planning and credible intelligence, ensuring actions are forceful yet surgical and lawful. This strategic shift aims to minimize collateral damage while maximizing the impact on the illicit drug trade, focusing on high-value individuals and dismantling their networks.

Babagay noted that the operational framework aligns with the national headquarters’ directive to enhance the management of police operations. He emphasized that the strategy involves precisely targeting the root of the problem through enhanced intelligence collection, analysis, and inter-unit collaboration. Babagay added that operatives on the ground are now better equipped, informed, and synchronized than ever before.