3 drug suspects die in Mindanao ops

KORONADAL CITY –Authorities on Thursday killed three drug suspects, including a suspected leader of a drug syndicate operating in Maguindanao, during separate operations in Mindanao.

Juvenal Azurin, the director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), said killed in the predawn anti-drug operation in Talitay, Maguindanao was Maguid Sinduan, a former village councilor.

Azurin said Sinduan allegedly headed the Amiril drug group that operated in Maguindanao and Cotabato City.

Arrested was Sinduan’s wife, Farida.

Azurin said they also seized about P1 million worth of shabu and several firearms during the raid at Sinduan’s house in Barangay Kiadap in Talitay, Maguindanao.

In Norala, South Cotabato, two suspected drug peddlers were also killed during a police-led anti-drug operations, also on Thursday.

Chief Inspector Aldrin Gonzales, speaking for the Central Mindanao Police Office, said Ryan Barcarcel and Melvin Montibon traded shots with law enforcers during the separate operations in Barangay San Miguel and Barangay Poblacion in Norala.

He said the operations were backed by search warrants.

Gonzales said the raiding team seized several sachets of shabu and two Ingram submachine gun pistols during the two raids.

A third suspect eluded arrest as he was not home during the serving of the search warrant, Gonzales said. /jpv