ARRESTED. Two suspects in possession of prohibited drugs are arrested during an anti-drug operation in Cotabato City on Feb. 13, 2024. Anti-narcotics agents recovered a total of PHP3.4 million worth of shabu. (Photo courtesy of PDEA-BARMM)
COTABATO CITY – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-BARMM) seized PHP18.3 million worth of shabu drugs from Jan. 1 to Feb. 14, an official here said Friday.
Agent Jocelyn Mary, PDEA-BARMM spokesperson, said about a dozen drug peddlers were also nabbed in intensified drug buy-busts in Cotabato City, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, and Sulu.
Seven entrapment operations across the region resulted in the recovery of over 2.7 kilograms of shabu amounting to PHP18,360,000 in street value.
“This is the big challenge for PDEA because it appears that drug peddlers have resumed their illegal activities in the region,” Mary said in a radio interview.
In this city alone, some PHP7 million worth of shabu were confiscated in separate entrapment operations during the period.
Several unlicensed firearms were seized during anti-drug operations.
Meanwhile, PDEA-13 (Caraga Region) reported the arrest of two non-regular employees of the Agusan del Sur provincial government and dismantling of a drug den early morning Friday in Barangay Patin-ay, Prosperidad town.
PDEA-13 said the male suspect is assigned with the Provincial Engineering Office, while the female suspect is with the Provincial General Services Office.
The alleged owner of the drug den, aged 41, was also arrested.
Seized from the suspects were three heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets containing 10 grams of shabu worth PHP80,000 and one sachet containing .05 gram of shabu worth PHP1,000. (PNA)
