THE police nabbed a high-value target who was in possession of P680,000 worth of suspected shabu in a drug bust in Dalican village, Datu Odin Sinsuat town, Maguindanao on Monday, September 26.
Gen. John Guyguyon, police regional director of the Bangsamoro autonomous region, said operatives of the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit arrested the 22-year-old suspect identified as Amilodin Akmad.
Guyguyon said the police have been closely monitoring Akmad’s activities for the past three weeks before Monday afternoon’s entrapment, when he sold shabu to an undercover police operative.
“Three of his companions managed to elude arrest after sensing the presence of lawmen nearby,” Guyguyon said.
Guyguyon added that Akmad and his cohorts have been selling shabu in 30 of the province’s 36 towns.
Akmad, who claimed he is from Datu Anggal Midtimbang town, is detained at the Datu Odin Sinsuat police custodial facility pending the filing of charges for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Meanwhile, an anti-illegal drugs operation in the province of Sultan Kudarat resulted in the arrest of another high-value target in Bagumbayan town last Monday.
Authorities identified the suspect as Romnick Almirante, 30 years old, a resident of Koronadal City, Sultan Kudarat.
Almirante fell in the sting organized by the joint elements of Sultan Kudarat Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit, Sultan Kudarat Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and Bagumbayan Drug Enforcement Unit.
During the operation, one of the PDEA-12 personnel acted as a poseur buyer and successfully bought a one-piece medium sized sachet of shabu from the suspect.
Authorities also recovered from Almirante three big sachets containing suspected shabu weighing more or less 20 grams, one big rectangular pack containing suspected dried marijuana leaves weighing more or less 500 grams, one unit Suzuki Raider, and the identification cards of the suspect.
The contraband seized weighed around 20.5 grams and with an estimated street value of P139,400 while the dried marijuana weighed about 500 grams with an estimated value of P60,000.
Almirante is now under the custody of authorities and will face criminal charges for violation of Republic Act 9165.
“I would like to congratulate all personnel behind this commendable accomplishment. Let us remain committed in our efforts to end illegal drugs for the benefit of everyone in the region,” BGen. Jimili Macaraeg, PRO-12 director, said.