DAVAO CITY (September 27) — Two Davao-bound passengers who yielded P200,000 worth of illegal drugs were arrested Tuesday night, September 25 at the checkpoint of Task Force Davao stationed in Sirawan, Toril District, this city.
The Task Force Davao (TFD) Falcon team intercepted the illegal drugs in two separate occasions while inspecting the passengers.
Col. Nolasco Mempin, TFD commander, said a certain Normilitar Ortega Sarabia, 37, married, a resident of Roxas Extension, Barangay 31, this city, was apprehended by the Task Group Falcon of the Sirawan Detachment.
Hours later, the same team arrested one Abdulasgar Duman Cabile, 38, a resident of Purok 4, Brgy 23-C, Miniforest. He was arrested after the team found improvised glass tube tooter and one small sachet of suspected shabu weighing more or less 0.19 gram with an estimated value of PHP3,000.
As part of the security measure, all Davao-bound passengers must submit themselves for inspection at the checkpoint.
Mempin said Civilian Auxillary Pantaleon Guinaling, became suspicious when Sarabia became restless and showed hesitation in submitting her bag for inspection. This led the enforcer to ask her to open the bag, which resulted to the discovery of three small sachets of suspected shabu hidden inside a small jewelry box, weighing more or less 14.06 grams with an estimated value of PHP219,000.
Sarabia was onboard a Bongo truck driven by Ruperto Sarabia from Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat, while Cabile was onboard a passenger van (UV Express) with plate number MWD 127 driven by Ronel Sinumanding from Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat.
The suspects were turned over to the Toril Police Station for proper disposition.  They will be facing charges for violating the anti-illegal drugs law.
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) XIÂ director Antonio Rivera said the checkpoints established by TFDavao helped in their campaign against illegal drug dealers.-Jian A. Padillo/NewsLine.ph with PNA report
