Operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), in collaboration with other law enforcement units intercepted an attempt to smuggle P816,000,000.00 worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, at the Port of Calapan, Oriental Mindoro.

PDEA Director General Undersecretary Isagani R. Nerez said the shabu haul was confiscated from the suspect identified as alias “Cris”, 43 years old, a male truck driver and resident of Oton, Iloilo.

On March 21, 2025 at around 9:30 in the morning, combined elements of PDEA Regional Office MIMAROPA Calapan Seaport Interdiction Unit and K9 Unit; PDEA MIMAROPA Oriental Mindoro Provincial Office; PDEA Intelligence Service; PDEA Regional Office-National Capital Region (RO-NCR) Regional Special Enforcement Team 2; PDEA SIU- Batangas; PDEA Regional Office IV-A; NBI MIMAROPA; Philippine Coast Guard Sub-Station Calapan K9 Unit; PPA-PMO Min

doro; PNP-DEG, Calapan City Drug Enforcement Unit; Regional Drug Enforcement Unit, Calapan City Police Station; Philippine Army; PNP Regional Highway Patrol Unit; and PNP Maritime Group 4B, arrested alias “Cris” after a random inspection and K-9 sweeping inside the compartment of his vehicle that yielded traveling bags containing120 packs of suspected shabu, weighing more or less 120 kilograms worth P816,000,000.00.

Also seized during the seaport interdiction operation are one Toyota Camry, one mobile phone and the commercial transport documents of the suspect.

Alias “Cris” will be facing charges for violation of Section 5 (Transportation of Illegal Drugs) and Section 11 (Possession of Illegal Drugs), Article II of Republic Act 9165, or The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

“The operation is the first major seizure of illegal drugs in Oriental Mindoro. Beside the country’s airports and parcel system, we also need to protect our seaports from becoming transit and dropping points for large volumes of illegal drugs,” Undersecretary Nerez said.

“Another high-impact operation that saved countless lives. This is going to be a regular part of PDEA life”, Nerez expressed.

Neres said, in Cavite, a Chinese national identified as alias “Li”, 35 years old, a male Chinese national and resident of Mandaluyong City, was arrested and yielded a Methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, and ecstasy tablets worth P217,642,000.00 were confiscated following a buy-bust operation in Bacoor City, Cavite.

Combined elements of PDEA Special Enforcement Service (SES); PDEA Regional Office IV-A, Cavite Provincial Office; and the Philippine National Police Maritime Police Station and Bacoor City Police Station, arrested “Li” after he sold one transparent self-sealing plastic bag containing suspected shabu, weighing approximately one kilogram worth P6,800,000.00 to a poseur-buyer in the parking lot of popular fast food chain restaurant along Bacoor Boulevard, Bacoor City, Cavite.

Seized also in the suspect’s possession were 31 more plastic bags containing suspected shabu, weighing more or less 31 kilograms, worth P210,800,000.00; four plastic sachets containing 35 pieces of red-colored ecstasy tablets worth P42,000.00; one Honda City and other personal belongings.

Nerez said that the total estimated weight of shabu seized during the operation is more or less 32 kilograms, with a standard value of ₱217,600.000.00.

Alias “Li” will be facing charges for violation of Section 5 (Sale of Illegal Drugs) and Section 11 (Possession of Illegal Drugs), Article II of Republic Act 9165, or The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

“The arrested Chinese national has been under our tight watch for quite some time now under COPLAN: “Mafioso”. He is capable of distributing voluminous amounts of illegal drugs, and is now behind bars,” the PDEA chief said.