COLLARED. A suspected drug peddler, who allegedly hid illegal drugs inside a baby diaper, sits in front of illegal drugs seized from him during a drug buy-bust in Cotabato City Monday night (Feb. 19, 2024). It was the ninth big-time anti-drug operation of PDEA-BARMM that netted over PHP22 million worth of shabu since January 1 this year, authorities said. (Photo courtesy of PDEA-BARMM)
COTABATO CITY – Anti-narcotics operatives arrested an alleged big-time drug peddler from Sultan Kudarat province and seized PHP3.4 million worth of “shabu” during a buy-bust along Sinsuat Avenue here on Monday night.
Agent Jocelyn Mary of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-BARMM) said suspect Norhan Padao, of Isulan town in Sultan Kudarat province, was placed under surveillance for a month before the 7 p.m. sting operation in Barangay Poblacion 5.
“We are determining who his principals are and where he gets his supplies,” Mary said in the vernacular.
Padao yielded 10 sachets of suspected shabu, weighing 500 grams placed inside a baby diaper, and the PHP600,000 boodle money, Mary said.
It was the ninth big-time anti-drug operation of the PDEA-BARMM in partnership with various security agencies since January, she added.
To date, some PHP22 million worth of shabu has been seized from drug peddlers, mostly in Cotabato City, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao Lanao del Sur, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, according to PDEA-BARMM. (PNA)
