ZAMBOANGA CITY — Operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), backed by Naval Intelligence Service Group (NISG), seized PhP5 million worth of illegal drugs and arrested five people in a buy-bust operation in this city, an official said Saturday.
PDEA Regional Director Lyndon Aspacio said the buy-bust operation was carried at around 3 p.m. Friday along Governor Camins Avenue in Barangay Canelar, this city.
Aspacio identified those arrested as Din-din Ronie, 30; Dismar Gulam, 23; Jamesar Abdulmaid, 33; Jamesar Hussin, 33; and, Binnajar Hadjili, 30.
Aspacio said all suspects except for Ronie are from the town of Panamao, Sulu. Ronie is from Panglima Estino town of the same province.
He said confiscated from the suspects during the buy-bust operation were: more or less one kilo of suspected shabu packed in 20 heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets; PhP347,900 cash; one bundle of boodle money topped with two PhP1,000 bills used as buy-bust money; one economy bag; and one biscuit box.
He said the estimated market value of the seized methamphetamine hydrochloride locally known as shabu is pegged at PhP5 million.
He said charges of violation of Section 26 (Attempt or Conspiracy) in relation to Section 5 (Selling of Illegal Drugs) and Section 11 (Possession of Illegal Drugs) of Article II of Republic Act 9165, otherwise known as Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 will be filed against the suspects.
They were temporarily detained at the detention facility of the PDEA regional office, according to Aspacio. (PNA)