KORONADAL CITY – Police authorities in the Soccsksargen region announced Saturday the arrest of four drug peddlers and the confiscation of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of PHP1.9 million during separate entrapment operations in Sultan Kudarat province.
Brig. Gen. James Gulmatico, director of Police Regional Office 12 (Soccsksargen), said three separate operations were conducted in Kalamansig and Lebak, two coastal towns of Sultan Kudarat, on Friday.
“These successful operations are a clear manifestation of our commitment to eradicating illegal drugs in the region,” Gulmatico said.
In Barangay Barurao 2, Lebak, a drug sting led to the arrest of a certain “Bata,” 42, and his companion, “JB,” 20, both residents of Barangay Cadiz.
Police agents seized from them suspected shabu valued at PHP1.1 million and a hand grenade.
On the same day, joint police and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 12 operatives, backed by military forces, arrested another drug peddler and seized from him PHP300,000 worth of suspected shabu during a drug buy-bust in Barangay Poblacion, Lebak.
The suspect, identified as “Odin,” 49, is a resident of Barangay Poloy-Poloy of the same town.
“Odin is a high-value target,” Gulmatico said, adding that the suspect also yielded a .45-caliber pistol.
In nearby Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat, an entrapment operation in Barangay Cadiz also resulted in the confiscation of PHP544,000 worth of shabu and the arrest of “Mani,” 52, a resident of the village.
Gulmatico vowed to intensify efforts to bring those involved in illicit drug activities to justice and ensure the safety and security of the people in the region. (PNA/ Edwin Fernandez)