Authorities arrested the son of a retired police general during an anti-drug operation Monday, confiscating nearly PHP29.9 million worth of suspected illegal drugs.
The suspect, identified as 40-year-old Ashraf Kayzar Ikbala, was apprehended in a buy-bust operation at Sitio Palawan, Zone 2, Barangay Divisoria. Joint forces from the Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and Naval Intelligence and Security Group-Western Mindanao executed the operation.
Over four kilograms of suspected shabu, packaged in transparent plastic bags, were seized.
Ikbala, a resident of Aurora Village, Barangay Tumaga, is the son of a retired police general who served as the PNP Directorate for Human Resource and Doctrine Development in 2010.
This isn’t Ikbala’s first brush with the law. Records reveal he was arrested in January 2019 for possession of PHP100,000 worth of illegal drugs. He was also linked to two drug-related cases filed in 2018, leading to an outstanding warrant for his arrest.
Ikbala is currently detained at the Zamboanga City Police Office while charges for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 are being prepared.
In a related operation on Sunday, authorities arrested two suspects in Barangay Canelar. The suspects, a jeepney conductor and a vendor, were found in possession of 100 grams of suspected shabu valued at PHP680,000.
These incidents highlight the persistent challenges law enforcement faces in battling illegal drugs, even when suspects come from influential families.
