SULTAN KUDARAT, Maguindanao del Norte – Authorities confiscated over PHP 1 million worth of suspected shabu and arrested a high-value drug suspect in a joint anti-drug operation conducted in Barangay Kabuntalan on Thursday, May 23.
The buy-bust operation, led by the Police Regional Office–Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO BAR), resulted in the apprehension of a suspected drug personality known by the alias “Soy.” The suspect was caught selling illegal drugs to an undercover operative posing as a buyer.
Seized from the suspect were three sachets of suspected shabu weighing a total of 150 grams, with an estimated street value of PHP 1,020,000. Also recovered during the operation were marked buy-bust money and a mobile phone believed to have been used for illegal transactions.
Police reported that the suspect’s alleged accomplice, identified only as “Bro,” managed to escape on a motorcycle. A pursuit was immediately launched but the second suspect remains at large.
The operation was a result of coordinated efforts among the Sultan Kudarat Municipal Police Station, the Office of the Provincial Police Drug Enforcement Unit (OPPDEU), the Provincial Intelligence Unit (PIU) of the Maguindanao del Norte Police Provincial Office, the Regional Intelligence and Analysis Team (RIAT) PRO BAR, and units from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 14-A’s 1401st, 1404th, and TSC Companies.
The arrested suspect is facing charges for violations of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
PRO BAR Regional Director PBGen. Romeo J. Macapaz commended the success of the operation, stating that it reflects the police force’s sustained efforts against illegal drugs in the region. “Guided by the leadership of the Chief PNP, PGen. Rommel Francisco D. Marbil, and with our unwavering commitment to safeguarding our communities, PRO BAR continues to strike hard against illegal drugs,” he said.
Authorities are intensifying their manhunt for the remaining suspect and have vowed to strengthen anti-drug campaigns across the Bangsamoro region.