Authorities seized half a kilo of suspected shabu worth approximately P3.4 million during a buy-bust operation in Mandaue City on May 11.
The operation targeted a 48-year-old suspect known as "Midal," a resident of Barangay Tejero in Cebu City, identified as a high-value individual involved in the illegal drug trade.
The Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO), in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, executed the operation around 6:18 PM on Mantawe Drive Extension.
MCPO Director Police Colonel Cirilo Acosta Jr. stated that Midal had been monitored for selling illegal drugs in Mandaue City and surrounding areas.
Midal's activities prompted three weeks of surveillance due to his suspicious movements and connections to other drug operations.
Intelligence reports indicated that he worked as a job order driver and obtained drugs from an inmate at the Cebu City Jail.
Midal reportedly operated as a delivery agent, capable of distributing at least one kilogram of shabu weekly, with a fixed commission of P5,000.
The arrest is expected to disrupt the local drug supply chain, impacting numerous pushers and users.
A follow-up operation is underway to apprehend additional individuals connected to this drug network.
Midal now faces charges under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 for violating Sections 5 and 11.