Marilyn Cahatol

Article (news)

Eon Sanchez

ABS-CBN News

<p>CALAMBA, Laguna — A buy-bust operation in in Villa de Calamba, Barangay La Mesa led to the arrest of two Indian nationals and about 44 kilograms of suspected cocaine worth an estimated P233.2 million on Saturday, February 21.</p><div> </div><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:560px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px;text-align:center"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:623px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2025003462711546346&amp;lang=en&amp;maxWidth=560px&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2026-02-21T00%3A40%3A07.412565%3A29080b16-09ce-4765-9924-734c80f8c6b9%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=787388e52a708fff5da9859539837560126fef73&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="2025003462711546346"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><br/></div><p>The operation was led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency through its National Capital Region Southern District Office, in coordination with its Laguna Provincial Office and Regional Special Enforcement Team, and Calamba police.</p><p>Authorities said they caught two Indian businessmen during the sale of illegal drugs.</p><p>Recovered drug evidence included two rectangular improvised packs containing about one kilogram each of suspected cocaine, which were the subject of sale, and an open carton box containing 42 additional one-kilogram packs believed to be cocaine.</p><p>Other evidence seized include a P500 bill used as marked money on top of 16 bundles of boodle money, a brown paper bag used as a container of the buy-bust money, a smartphone, and the suspects&#x27; passports.</p><p>The suspects are facing charges for violations of Sections 5 and 11, Article II of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 (Republic Act 9165), covering the sale and possession of illegal drugs.</p><p>Authorities said the confiscated substances will be submitted to the PDEA Laboratory Service for laboratory examination.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/5/ncrpo-says-it-seized-p866-6-m-worth-of-illegal-drugs-in-2025-1815">NCRPO says it seized P866.6-M worth of illegal drugs in 2025</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3W9mN54Sxcw?si=qoSmLqmctYR_dGL3" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>Two Indian nationals were arrested, and about 44 kilograms of suspected cocaine worth an estimated P233.2 million were seized in a buy-bust operation in Villa de Calamba, Barangay La Mesa on Saturday, February 21.</p>

Two Indian nationals were arrested, and about 44 kilograms of suspected cocaine worth an estimated P233.2 million were seized in a buy-bust operation in Villa de Calamba, Barangay La Mesa on Saturday, February 21.

P233-M cocaine seized, 2 Indian nationals arrested in Laguna buy-bust

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P233-M cocaine seized, 2 Indian nationals arrested in Laguna buy-bust

Eon Sanchez,

ABS-CBN News

Published Feb 21, 2026 10:48 AM PHT

|

Updated Feb 21, 2026 02:57 PM PHT

Read More:

Indian Nationals

Illegal Drugs

Buy Bust Operation

Calamba

Laguna

PDEA

PDEA Southern District Office

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