Authorities arrested a former barangay official and two local government employees during a raid on a suspected drug den in Mainit, Quezon on Monday afternoon, officials said.
The operation was conducted in Purok Lutos, Barangay Quezon by joint operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) as part of intensified anti-illegal drug operations in the Caraga region.
The suspects were identified only through their aliases “David,” “Dennis,” and “Ronie.”
Investigators said alias “David,” a former barangay kagawad, was allegedly maintaining the suspected drug den.
Meanwhile, aliases “Dennis” and “Ronie,” both job order employees of the Mainit municipal government, were reportedly caught inside the area allegedly using illegal drugs, particularly shabu.
Authorities confiscated around seven grams of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of P47,600 during the operation.
Also recovered were marked buy-bust money, mobile phones, identification cards, aluminum foil strips, lighters, and assorted drug paraphernalia.
The suspects are facing charges for alleged violations of Sections 5, 6, 7, 11, and 12 of Article II of Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Officials said the raid highlighted continuing coordination among law enforcement agencies in the government’s anti-drug campaign.
Among the units involved in the operation were the Surigao del Norte Provincial Office, the Surigao del Norte Police Provincial Office-Provincial Intelligence Unit, the Mainit Municipal Police Station, and the Surigao del Norte Seaport Interdiction Unit.
Mainit, Quezon emphasized the importance of sustained inter-agency cooperation in combating illegal drugs in the region.