‘Drug den operator’ killed, 7 arrested in Maguindanao raids — police

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Anti-drug agents killed a suspected drug den operator and arrested seven other persons – including a minor – in separate raids in Maguindanao and this city, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Pdea-ARMM) reported Tuesday.

Yogi Filemon Ruiz, PDEA-ARMM director, said the suspected drug den operator identified as 50-year-old Kabrix Katindig was under close surveillance for months and was among those on the PDEA’s list for drug pushing

Ruiz said on Monday that PDEA agents were able to verify Katindig’s illegal activities and a raid was conducted on his hideout in Barangay Crossing Salvo in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town around 3 p.m.

He said that during the raid, Katindig fired his .45 pistol at the approaching agents. No PDEA agent was harmed, Ruiz added.

Ruiz said the PDEA agents also arrested Badrudin Ebrahim, Mohaliden Kadatuan, Almansor Esmael, Esmael Tanot, Benjie Asim, Esmael Akmad and Marco Limba during the raid on Katindig’s lair and seized some 20 grams of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride with an estimated market value of P120,000.

The day before the Datu Saudi Ampatuan town raid, Ruiz said PDEA agents also arrested retired Army sergeant Eric Case and a 13-year-old boy during an operation in Barangay Bagua here.

He said the boy served as a “runner” for an older sibling — who was also on the PDEA’s wanted list – while the retired soldier was a drug buyer.

Case and the other suspects arrested in the Datu Saudi Ampatuan raid were being detained at the PDEA holding facility here while the boy had been turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development for temporary custody, Ruiz said.

“Charges in violation of Republic Act 9165 had been filed against them,” he said.