A police buy-bust led to the arrest of a top drug personality in Bacolod City and the recovery of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of P4.59 million in Purok Nami-Nami, Barangay Sum-ag yesterday.

The suspect, identified as “Faisal,” 24 years old, a resident of Barangay 31, is a sub-leader of the Caunda drug group, based on the report of the Bacolod City Police Office’s (BCPO) City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU).

“The subject is a high-value individual. He is a major distributor of illegal drugs in Bacolod City and some parts of Negros Occidental,” Lt. Colonel Antonio Benitez Jr., CDEU chief, said in a radio interview.

Records show the suspect, who also works as a gym instructor, has two pending warrants of arrest for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

He is also included on the drug watchlists of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, as well as the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group and Regional Drug Enforcement Unit 6 (Western Visayas).

While still a minor in 2017, he was detained in a custodial facility but later escaped.

During the operation, minutes before 6:00 a.m., “Faisal” sold a sachet of suspected shabu worth P5,000 to an undercover policeman.

Operatives also found in his possession four heat-sealed plastic sachets and nine knot-tied plastic bags containing suspected shabu weighing 675 grams pegged at P6,800 per gram.

“We are still checking where the illegal drugs were sourced. He was already set to distribute these, but we intercepted the supply,” Benitez said.

In a statement, Colonel Joeresty Coronica, police city director, said the arrest of “Faisal” was a result of intelligence-driven operations.

“The BCPO is committed to combatting the proliferation of illegal drugs in Bacolod City,” he added. (PNA)