SEIZED. A police officer (seated) and a woman are arrested in an entrapment operation by anti-narcotics agents along Cotabato City’s busy Quezon Avenue on Friday night (Jan. 5, 2024). Suspected shabu (inset), valued at about PHP4 million, was seized from the suspects. (Photo courtesy of PDEA-BARMM)
COTABATO CITY – Anti-narcotics agents arrested Friday night a police officer and his female accomplice during a PHP4 million “shabu” drug sting operation in front of a food chain here.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-BARMM) identified the arrested suspects as Staff Sgt. Mujeeb Bitayo Sepi of the Sultan Kudarat Municipal Police Station in Maguindanao del Norte, and his companion, Farida Alim Alfonso.
“The suspects agreed to sell the prohibited stuff to an undercover PDEA agent at 7 p.m. along Quezon Avenue in this city,” Gil Cesario P. Castro, PDEA-BARMM director, said in a statement Saturday.
Joint PDEA agents, city police operatives, and 5th Marine Battalion Landing Team troopers arrested the duo after the handover of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of PHP4 million, packed in 12 huge plastic sachets.
The arresting team also seized a pistol and mobile phones from the suspects.
Detained at the PDEA custodial facility, the suspects were awaiting the filing of formal charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Friday’s drug bust was the second huge operation on prohibited drugs by PDEA-BARMM since Dec. 29 when agents seized 500 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of PHP3.4 million from a big-time drug peddler in Panamao, Sulu.
PDEA identified the suspect as Reximar Muhammad, 30, of Patikul, Sulu. (PNA)
