3-kg blocks of ‘shabu’ seized in Zambo City raid

One of the blocks of “shabu” seized by police during a raid in a Zamboanga City village is presented to media. —JULIE ALIPALA

ZAMBOANGA CITY—Authorities continued their war on drugs, seizing up to P70 million worth of “shabu,” or crystal meth, in raids in a village here and in Marawi City.

In the village of Sinunuc here, a police raid yielded three blocks of shabu with a street value of at least P60 million, according to Supt. Nonito Asdai, chief of a police station in the village of Tetuan.

Asdai said the drugs were found in the Maluddin residence on Saturday morning.
He said the blocks, each weighing a kilogram, were apparently for repacking into small sachets that were to be retailed to users.

Estimated value

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) had estimated each block to cost P2 million but suspects arrested during the raid said each block’s value would be at least P20 million because they would be sold in smaller packs.

It was the biggest drug bust here since last year, when police seized at least three kg of shabu.

Asdai said eight persons were arrested. Three of them were alleged drug dealers—Almujir Sabtal, 29; Carmin Maluddin, 36; and

Sakur Alijam, 26—from Jolo, Sulu.

Marawi raid

Five of the other arrested suspects are under investigation, Asdai said.

In Marawi City, government forces on Friday seized at least two kg of shabu from the house of a former mayor who had been tagged as a supporter of the homegrown terror group, Maute.

Chief Insp. William Santos said the drug haul had an estimated street value of P10 million and was seized in the house of Solitario Ali, former Marawi City mayor.

Santos said Ali was on the police list of high-value targets as financier of the Maute group. —JULIE S. ALIPALA AND JEOFFREY MAITEM