Drug den closed, 11 arrested in separate PDEA Mindanao operations

COTABATO CITY — Anti-narcotics agents seized P952,000 worth of shabu, arrested 11 traffickers and dismantled a drug den in separate operations in two Mindanao regions in three days.

Agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-9 first seized P544,000 worth of shabu from two dealers, Jamael Sarip and Andro Mabini, in an entrapment operation in Barangay Poblacion in Margosatubig, Zamboanga del Sur last Monday. The operation was laid with the support of units of the Police Regional Office-9.

Maharani Gadaoni Tosoc, director of PDEA-9, told reporters on Thursday morning that Sarip and Mabini are now both locked in a detention facility and are awaiting prosecution.

Agents of PDEA-9 and plainclothes policemen arrested on Wednesday afternoon Felipe Suarez, Edmar Cortes and Alberto Lagumbay after selling to them P340,000 worth of shabu in another entrapment operation in Barangay Poblacion in Aurora, Zamboanga del Sur.

Tosoc said their agents had also seized from one of them an unlicensed .45 caliber pistol with serial numbers 814723.

Three hours later, another PDEA-9 team clamped down drug den operators Rey Vincent Tacorda, Russel Mentolaroc and Khillton Campones in an entrapment operation in the vicinity of their drug den in Gulayon area in Dipolog City, frequented by their neighbors and residents of barangays around.

They were immediately detained after turning over P68,000 worth of shabu to plainclothes PDEA-9 agents in a clandestine tradeoff premised on reports by vigilant tipsters about their illegal activities. 

Tosoc said their agents and barangay officials immediately padlocked the drug den that Tacorda, Mentolaroc and Campones operated together.

A drug dealer long under surveillance by agents of PDEA-12, covering Central Mindanao, also fell in an entrapment operation in Purok Maria Rosa in Barangay Poblacion in Polomolok town in South Cotabato last Tuesday.

Aileen Tan Lovitos, director of PDEA-12, said they are now in custody of the suspect, Arjie Batiancila, from whom agents had confiscated P6,800 worth of shabu that he sold to one of them, disguised as a drug dependent.

Lovitos said their agents had also arrested in separate operations on Tuesday Jasper Pilapil and Benjaide Sambaga, wanted  for separate narcotics-related cases pending in different local courts.  

Galo and Sambaga yielded peacefully when separate PDEA-12 teams served them warrants for their arrests in Barangay Bula in General Santos City and in Barangay Sapu Masla in Malapatan town in Sarangani, respectively, last Tuesday.