P4.4M shabu seized in Mindanao; two suspects escape by speedboat

COTABATO CITY (October 20)  — Anti-narcotics agents seized P4.4 million worth of shabu in separate operations in South Cotabato and Tawi-Tawi on October 16, arresting four suspected dealers in one operation while two others escaped a drug sting by speedboat.

The operations yielded P1 million worth of shabu in South Cotabato and P3.4 million worth in Tawi-Tawi, where two suspects allegedly drew firearms and fled by boat, leaving behind half a kilo of the illegal drug.

In an unusual turn, relatives of suspected dealers reportedly helped authorities gather information and pledged to support efforts to pursue criminal cases against them.

In Banga, South Cotabato, agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region 12 and police officers arrested four men during an entrapment operation in Barangay Rizal Poblacion.

PDEA-12 director Charlene Magdurulang said Monday the suspects were arrested after allegedly selling shabu to undercover operatives.

Information from local officials, community contacts and the suspects’ relatives helped investigators track their alleged drug-trafficking activities in Banga and nearby towns, Magdurulang said.

The operation was supported by South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr., chair of the Regional Peace and Order Council 12, along with police units and Army intelligence personnel from the 6th Infantry Division.

The four suspects were detained and face prosecution for alleged violations of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Suspects escape by speedboat

In Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, two suspected dealers escaped arrest after allegedly selling 500 grams of shabu worth P3.4 million to undercover agents and police officers posing as drug dependents.

George Paul Alcovindas, PDEA-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) director, said the agency’s Tawi-Tawi provincial team, led by Abraham Kalim, coordinated with police for the operation in a coastal area of Barangay Poblacion Market.

When operatives moved to arrest and frisk the suspects, the two allegedly drew firearms, triggering a gunfight.

They then fled aboard a small motorized boat waiting near the shore, leaving the shabu behind, Alcovindas said.

Radio reports on Monday said relatives who helped authorities plan the operation, along with provincial officials including Gov. Ysmael Sali, had pledged to support the filing of criminal cases against the fugitives even in their absence.

The two operations resulted in the seizure of P4.4 million worth of shabu, with four suspects in custody in South Cotabato and two still at large in Tawi-Tawi.

Authorities must now pursue the fugitives and build evidence-backed cases against the suspects to bring the cases before the courts.