GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- Police arrested five suspected drug pushers while another reportedly eluded arrest in a series of raids on Monday in Polomolok town, South Cotabato province.
Senior Supt. Joel Limson, South Cotabato police director, said Tuesday the raids were in line with the "one time, big time" operation launched by joint operatives in Barangays Poblacion and Lumakil in Polomolok.
Armed with 19 search warrants, he said elements from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion-12, Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit-12, South Cotabato Police Mobile Force Battalion and the Polomolok municipal police station stormed at least 13 houses starting 4 a.m.
The warrants, which were issued by Judge Adelbert Santillan of the Regional Trial Court Branch 63 in Polomolok, were for alleged possession of illegal drugs, firearms and ammunition.
In Purok Ranada, Poblacion, Limsom said suspects Adrian Abanes and Leigh Soberano were nabbed after yielding a sachet each of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu.
Also seized from Soberano was a .45-caliber handgun, a fired cartridge and a slug, he said.
In Purok San Isidro, he said the operatives found 13 sachets of suspected shabu and various drug paraphernalia at the house of suspect Japhet Damayo.
In Barangay Lumakil, a report released by the Police Regional Office-12 said the operating team nabbed brothers Suraden and Raymond Paraloman in a search at a house in Purok Maguindanao.
But another cohort, identified as Solaiman Paraloman, reportedly managed to escape during the operation.
Seized from the suspects were a piece of brown leather coin purse containing five sachets of suspected shabu, two rolled strips of aluminum foil and a fragmentation grenade.
Senior Insp. Romeo Albano, deputy chief of the Polomolok municipal police station, said in a radio interview that the arrested drug personalities were all included in their watchlist.
Prior to the operation, he said they subjected the suspects to a series of surveillance and eventually confirmed their involvement in the illegal drug trade.
"These are known drug pushers in their areas," he added. (PNA)
