LAMITAN CITY, Basilan — Operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Basilan (PDEA-BASILAN) arrested four persons in a drug buy-bust operation conducted conducted in Sitio Larbeco, Barangay Limo-ok, Lamitan City on Wednesday, March 22.
Cielito Llano, director of PDEA-Basilan, identified the drug suspects as Dennis Julian Tinguha alias ‘Ekong’, Joey Tinguha Ibañez, Jonathan Mag-usara Partosa and Louie Magnaye Ramirez, all residents of Lamitan City.
Llano said they coordinated with the Lamitan City Police Office and the military conducted the drug buy-bust operation.
During the sting operation, operatives seized 12 grams of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu, with a street value of P81,000 , a cellphone used in the transaction, assorted drug paraphernalia, and the P500 bill used as buy-bust marked money by the operatives.
The operation’s success was a result of the joint and inter-agency efforts of the 3rd Regional Mobile Force Battalion BASULTA, Lamitan City Police Station, 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company, 53rd Special Action Company SAF, and 18IB, 1st ID Philippine Army and the PDEA Basilan Provincial Office.
The suspects are now detained at the Lamitan City Police Station while awaiting inquest proceedings for violations of Republic Act 9165, as amended by Republic Act No. 10640, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.