COTABATO CITY, (PNA) –Joint police and anti-narcotics agents arrested on Saturday during a buy bust operation three men involved in large scale drug trade in Tacurong City, police said.
Supt. Junie Buenacosa, Tacurong City police chief, said the buy-bust operation was hatched after police were provided with vital information about the operation of three men from nearby town of Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat.
Members of the Tacurong City Philippine National Police, Regional Public Safety Battalion and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA-12) composed the team with one acting as poseur buyer.
Buenacosa said the buyer made contact with one of the suspects, Mohammad Ali, 32, and both agreed to the delivery of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu in front of a gasoline station, national highway, Tacurong City.
The three suspects and the buyer met in a secluded district of the town’s public market for the deal.
As one of the three suspects handed over the two heat-sealed sachet of prohibited stuff, the entrapment team arrested them. They did not resist arrest.
Buenacosa identified the two other suspects as Wahab Handog, 27 and Baldo Waningan, 35, all residents of Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat.
Recovered from them were four sachets of shabu and the P1,500 marked money used in the deal in the possession of Ali.
The suspects are now detained at Tacurong City PNP station facing charges of violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Police intelligence reports showed that the trio had connections with a couple earlier arrested by lawmen in Davao City.
During buy bust operation, the Davao City police arrested Tahir Rex Musa, 35 of Pagalungan, Maguindanao and his live-in partner, Lyzel Desabelle of Panabo City.
Police seized more than P500,000 worth of shabu and other drug paraphernalia.
Musa is believed to have connections in Davao City, Davao del Sur, Tacurong City, Kidapawan City and Cotabato City, police said.