COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Police and military authorities arrested here on separate occasions Friday and Saturday two suspected peddlers of illegal drugs in Maguindanao.
Arrested were Samer Ayao, 18, of Barangay (village) Tanual, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao and Raf Uko, 30, of Datu Odin Sinsuat, Col. Noli Mapili, chief of the 5th Army Special Forces Battalion, said.
Tipped of Ayao’s whereabouts, Mapili said he formed a special team to track down the suspect who was nabbed while on board a van in Barangay Balabaran, Datu Odin Sinsuat town at past 7 p.m. He yielded a home-made automatic rifle.
Interrogated, Ayao admitted he had a companion identified as Raf Uko who was to come to Barangay Balabaran Saturday morning.
A follow-up operation by the same Army unit resulted in the arrest of Uko who was carrying a cal. 38 revolver, an improvised rifle and methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu.
Follow up operations also resulted in the recovery of a van and a motorcycle used by the suspects in drug peddling.
Mapili said the suspects had been turned over to police authorities in Cotabato City for appropriate filing of charges.
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