P145.5 million shabu seized in Zamboanga City

MANILA, Philippines — More than 21 kilos of shabu valued at P145.5 million were recovered in a sting in Zamboanga City on Tuesday, authorities reported yesterday.

Members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) conducted the operation in Purok 1 in Barangay Mampang, which led to the arrest of Wilson Sahiban, 25; Junjimar Aiyob, 29; Jimy Sahibol, 30, and Abdurahman Abdulhakim.

Lt. Col. Jynleo Bautista, CIDG operation chief, said a caliber .45 pistol with bullets, cash in various denominations, bank deposit slips and money transfer receipts were also recovered from the suspects.

The PDEA said it was the biggest drug haul in a sting in Zamboanga peninsula in recent years.

The suspects are said to have links to drug rings in Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

In Davao City, shabu valued at P5.4 million was seized from Michael Mollet in Purok 2, Barangay 9-A yesterday.

A sting along the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road Tollway in Malvar, Batangas led to recovery of shabu worth P3.4 million.

Chinese citizens Ko Xiao Tao, Yan Xing Xue and an alias Ming were wounded in an alleged shootout with police officers.

P135.5 million marijuana destroyed

Meanwhile, anti-narcotics operatives uprooted and destroyed marijuana plants worth P131.6 million in two plantations in Tinglayan, Kalinga, Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group director Brig. Gen. Dionisio Bartolome Jr. said.

In Cebu, marijuana valued at P3.9 million went up in smoke in Barangays Kalugtugan and Climaco in Toledo City.

The cultivators of the marijuana plantations were not around during the raid.