Agents from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA 7) conducted two successful anti-drug operations in Cebu City on Sunday, January 18, 2026, resulting in the arrest of six individuals and the dismantling of a drug den.
Dawn Raid in Punta Princesa Nets Five
The first operation commenced at 5:15 in the morning at Guadalupe Osmeña Village in Barangay Punta Princesa. The primary target was a drug den maintained by an alias Jessa, a 25-year-old call center agent, and her cohort, alias Mandrin, a 29-year-old habal-habal driver. PDEA 7 Director Joel Plaza identified the pair as the subjects of a two-week case buildup.
During the raid, authorities apprehended Jessa and Mandrin along with three other individuals who were allegedly caught in the act of using suspected shabu inside the den. The additional suspects were identified as alias Joshua, a 27-year-old college student from Punta Princesa; alias Marina, a 50-year-old laborer from Tisa; and alias Sonia, 32, also from Tisa.
Confiscated evidence included 10 packets of suspected shabu weighing approximately 6 grams, with an estimated street value of P40,800, and the buy-bust money used in the operation.
Follow-up Operation in Tisa Arrests Alleged Distributor
Later that morning, at around 8:20 a.m., a second coordinated operation was carried out by PDEA 7 and the Labangon Police Station in Sitio Caduloy, Barangay Tisa. This operation led to the arrest of a single suspect known as alias Kenneth, a 22-year-old truck boy residing in the area. From Kenneth, agents recovered another 10 packets of suspected shabu, also valued at P40,800.
Leia Alcantara, PDEA 7 information officer, stated that the case buildup for the Tisa operation lasted one week. Investigators allege that Jessa could sell about 25 grams of shabu per week, while Kenneth was capable of selling 50 grams weekly.
Charges and Consequences
All confiscated drug evidence has been submitted to the PDEA 7 Regional Office Laboratory for chemical analysis. The six arrested suspects are currently detained at the PDEA custodial facility.
Authorities are preparing charges for violations of Section 5 (Sale of Dangerous Drugs) and Section 11 (Possession of Dangerous Drugs), Article II of Republic Act 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. Notably, Jessa has a prior arrest for a similar offense but was previously released on probation. The penalty for maintaining a drug den is life imprisonment.
The back-to-back operations underscore the continued vigilance of anti-narcotics agents in Central Visayas against the proliferation of illegal drugs.
