Woman in Isabela visits relative in jail, gets arrested after shabu found in her bag

Santiago City, Isabela – A routine inspection at a jail facility in Santiago City, Isabela, over the weekend ended with the arrest of a 47-year-old woman who was visiting a detained relative but was caught carrying illegal drugs.

A local media source said the suspect was identified by police as alias “Jen,” single, working as a house helper, and a resident of Barangay Rosario, Santiago City.

Based on the police report, personnel of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) were conducting standard security screening on the belongings of visitors at the Santiago City Male Dormitory on Sunday, December 7, 2025, when the discovery occurred.

During the inspection, the jail officers noticed something suspicious inside Jen’s bag. Upon closer checking, they found a coin purse containing a heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet of suspected shabu, leading to her immediate arrest.

Also seized from Jen were three pieces of aluminum foil, the camouflage coin purse, and the moss-green tote bag. Police said the illegal drugs recovered weighed 0.4 gram and were valued at more than P2,000.

The suspect was brought to Santiago City Police Station 4 for the filing of charges related to possession of illegal drugs, in violation of Section 11 of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Based on reports. There have been multiple drug busts across the province over the years — including suspected “pushers” and traffickers — reflecting the broader problem of illegal drugs in Isabela.

In February 2025, a barangay chairman in Ilagan City was arrested after being caught with suspected shabu and a gun during a buy-bust operation.