CADIZ CITY, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL — Two senior citizens were arrested in a police buy-bust operation in Cadiz City after allegedly selling suspected shabu to an undercover police officer, authorities reported.
The operation was conducted on August 18, 2026, at around 2:10 p.m. in East Proper, Barangay Zone 1, Cadiz City, by personnel of the Cadiz City Police Station’s Station Drug Enforcement Team (SDET).
Police identified the suspects only by their aliases “Boyet,” 62, married, and “Berting,” 65, both residents of Cadiz City.
According to police, the operation was carried out after the suspects allegedly handed a heat-sealed transparent sachet containing a white crystalline substance believed to be shabu to a police poseur-buyer in exchange for marked money.
The transaction led to the suspects’ arrest.
Police recover suspected shabu
Authorities said they recovered six heat-sealed sachets containing suspected shabu, with a combined estimated weight of three grams.
The seized substance was placed at an estimated street value of ₱20,400, based on the police assessment reported by Panay News.
Police also recovered the ₱500 marked bill allegedly used as buy-bust money and another ₱100 bill believed to be proceeds from illegal drug activities, along with other pieces of evidence.
The suspected drugs were subsequently turned over to the Negros Occidental Provincial Forensic Unit for laboratory examination.
Charges filed under anti-drug law
The two suspects remain in police custody as authorities pursue the case.
Police said charges for alleged violations of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, have been filed against them.
Because the seized substance was still subject to laboratory examination, it is important to describe it as “suspected shabu” rather than definitively identifying it as methamphetamine unless and until the forensic examination confirms its composition.
Why the arrest is drawing attention
The arrests stand out because both suspects are senior citizens, adding another dimension to Cadiz City’s continuing anti-illegal-drug operations.
The case also highlights the role of police buy-bust operations in targeting suspected street-level drug transactions. In this instance, authorities said the operation resulted in the recovery of several sachets of suspected shabu and the arrest of the two alleged sellers.
The Philippine National Police and other law-enforcement agencies continue to conduct anti-drug operations nationwide, with suspects facing prosecution when evidence supports charges under RA 9165.
For the Cadiz case, however, the next significant development will be the result of the forensic examination of the seized substance and the subsequent proceedings in court.
The arrests may have ended one alleged transaction—but the evidence now in police hands could determine how the case unfolds next.
The suspects are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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