Cebu City Drug Bust Yields PHP20.7 Million Worth of Shabu, Woman Arrested

CEBU CITY: A significant drug bust operation in Mandaue City led to the seizure of three kilos of suspected shabu, valued at PHP20.7 million, just past midnight on Saturday. The joint operation involved the Mandaue City Police, the Regional Drugs Enforcement Unit, and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

According to Philippines News Agency, chief of the Mandaue Police, Marichu Oyon-Oyon Añura was apprehended in a residential village in Barangay Casuntingan. Prior to the buy-bust operation, the police conducted covert surveillance on Añura, who was classified as a high-value target at the regional level. The seized illegal drugs were reportedly destined for distribution in major cities including Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, and Cebu, as well as other areas in Cebu province.

Brig. Gen. Anthony Aberin, chief of the Police Regional Office-7, highlighted the significance of Añura’s arrest in the context of the drug supply reduction strategy of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the region. He stated that this was the first major anti-drug accomplishment for 2024 and would serve as a template for future operations aimed at curtailing illegal drug activities in Central Visayas. The operation aligns with the BIDA Program of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. and the PNP’s 5-focused agenda.

The BIDA (Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan) initiative, a key anti-illegal drugs program under the Marcos administration, focuses on reducing drug demand and proliferation through community empowerment and increasing public awareness of the harmful effects of illegal substances. Complementing this, the PNP’s 5-Focused agenda includes aggressive and honest law enforcement operations, personnel morale and welfare, integrity enhancement, information and communications technology development, and community engagement.