Buy bust yields P5M shabu, explosives in Cotabato

COTABATO CITY—Anti-narcotics operatives, backed by policemen, arrested two suspected members of a drug syndicate operating here and in the National Capital Region during an anti-drug operation at the city plaza here on Friday.

Juvenal Azurin, director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-ARMM), said they seized some P5 million worth of shabu from Benjie Macmod, 27; and Tahir Sangki, 29; both of Datu Saudi Ampatuan town in Maguindanao.

The two suspects also yielded two live grenades, a motorbike and P5,000 cash, Azurin said.

“They were our high-value targets and we acted on intelligence reports they were to deliver large amount of shabu in the city,” Azurin told the Inquirer.

He said PDEA got aninformation that the two suspects were in possession of large amount of shabu.

Azurin said they immediately formed a team and conducted a buy-bust operation. In all, 19 large sachets of shabu were seized from the suspects.

“They belonged to a big-time drug group operating in Maguindanao, Cotabato City and National Capital Region,” Azurin said, without elaborating.

“We are establishing their links to other [pushers] we earlier arrested,” Azurin said, adding that they have also identified the intended recipient of the drugs.

Charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 (anti-drug law) and RA 10591 (Illegal possession of firearms and explosives) were being prepared against the two, who were detained at the PDEA cell here. /jpv