Sultan Kudarat drug bust yields drugs, arms, misses suspect

KORONADAL CITY – Police and military forces in Lebak, Sultan Kudarat recovered a high powered firearm, ammunition and prohibited drugs during an anti-drug operation and implementation of an arrest warrant on Monday dawn.

But authorities missed the suspect, a certain Mads Pagabangan, when lawmen raided his house in Barangay Kinudalan, Lebak, Sultan Kudarat.

Chief Inspector Benhur Catcatan, Lebak town police chief and Lt. Colonel Edwin Joseph Olaer, commanding officer of Marine Battalion Landing Team (MBLT-7), led the team that served the warrant of arrest against Pagabangan who, Catcatan said, fled before the raiding team arrived.

Catcatan said the raiding team recovered 23 sachets of suspected shabu and paraphernalia, an AK-2000 rifle, magazines, 200 pieces of ammunition for M-16 Armalite rifle, magazine for M-16, a mobile phone, bandolier and a set of fatigue military uniform.

Catcatan said Pagabangan was in the police drug watch list. He has warrants of arrest for murder and qualified piracy charges.

Catcatan appealed to residents of Lebak to help the police and Philippine Marines locate the suspect. CDG/rga