8 drug suspects nabbed in Basilan

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Government security forces arrested eight suspects and seized illegal drugs and several high-powered firearms during a raid Wednesday afternoon in a suspected drug den in Maluso town, Basilan.

Senior Superintendent Mario Dapilloza, Basilan Police Provincial director, said the raid was made following the search warrant issued by the local court on the house of the suspects at Barangay Upper Port Holand in the town proper of Maluso about 6 p.m.

The large team composed of Police Anti-Illegal Drug Special Operation Task Group (PAIDSOTG),  Maluso police, police public safety company, army’s 14th Special Force Company, and personnel of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) carried put the raid after they were tipped that the suspects were fully armed.

Dapilloza said the  eight suspects were nabbed inside the  den and were identified as Haber Maito Imbang, 24; Maulana Indanan, 32; Yasser Indanan Alam26, and his brother Basher, 24; Jerry Ibon Alam, 53; Shermalyn Asandi Alam, 24; Nur-aisa Anni Alam, 23; Mida Sabandal Indanan, all residents of Barangay Upper Port Holland.

The raiding team recovered during the raid at least 42 plastic sachets containing white crystalline substance believed to be shabu and drug paraphernalia, including three digital weighing scales, and 10 units of cellphones.

Dapilloza said the security forces also recovered eight high powered firearms, including a Garrand, M14, four M16 rifles, KG9 cal. 9mm machine pistol with silencer, an M203 launcher, 17 rounds M203 grenades, two rifle grenades, a cal. 357 revolver; 35 assorted magazines loaded with ammunition and clips of ammunition.

The arrested suspects atr detained at the Basilan provincial police office. Confiscated items are placed under inventory while the case is under investigation, according to Dapilloza.

The raid came following the complains of some local residents that the selling of shabu in Maluso has gone rampant.