Cotabato City, Philippines – June 6, 2025 — Four individuals identified as alleged high-value drug personalities were arrested in a joint anti-drug operation on the evening of June 5 in Barangay Rosary Heights 10, Cotabato City.
Authorities confiscated an estimated Php 34,000 worth of suspected shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) during the buy-bust operation conducted around 9:30 PM. The suspects, known by the aliases “Abdul” or “Escobar,” “Tata,” “Ramsy,” and “Dodong,” were all taken into custody for alleged violations of Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
The coordinated effort was led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency – Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-BARMM), in collaboration with the Cotabato City Police Office, the PNP Maritime Group, and the Cotabato Public Safety Office. Authorities said the suspects were caught after selling suspected illegal drugs to an undercover operative.
Seized items were immediately subjected to on-site inventory and marking procedures in the presence of barangay officials and members of the media, in accordance with standard operating procedures for transparency.
The suspects were informed of their constitutional rights and are currently held at the PDEA-BARMM detention facility while documentation is completed and charges are being prepared. The confiscated substance has been submitted to the PDEA Forensic Laboratory for confirmatory testing.
PBGEN Romeo J. Macapaz, Regional Director of the Police Regional Office – Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR), commended the successful operation and highlighted the value of inter-agency cooperation in the ongoing campaign against illegal drugs.
“This operation is a testament to what we can achieve through unified law enforcement efforts,” Macapaz said. “We remain committed to dismantling drug networks that threaten the safety and wellbeing of our communities.”