COTABATO CITY — Authorities arrested two suspected shabu dealers in separate entrapment operations here on Friday, September 26, uncovering alleged links to terrorist financing involving the Dawlah Islamiya and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
The suspects, identified as Fahad Talilisen Angas and Amir Karim Dalandas, are now detained and awaiting prosecution for violations of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. Local officials, including members of the Cotabato City Peace and Order Council, confirmed on Saturday that the duo reportedly funneled part of their drug earnings to remnants of the two extremist groups.
Angas was caught in Barangay Bagua 3’s Purok 8 after handing over ₱1,500 worth of shabu to undercover operatives from Police Station 3, in an operation led by Capt. Kenneth Encabo under the supervision of Cotabato City Police Director Col. Jibin Bongcayao.
Meanwhile, Dalandas was arrested the same day in Barangay Rosary Heights 4 along Maria Clara Street. He surrendered after unknowingly selling ₱544 worth of shabu to plainclothes policemen led by Capt. Harmin Sinsuat, chief of Police Precinct 1, with Bongcayao also overseeing the operation.
Military intelligence units under the Army’s 6th Infantry Division (6ID) confirmed that both suspects are on their list of drug traffickers suspected of remitting portions of their profits to Dawlah Islamiya and BIFF leaders. These groups, although weakened by successive surrenders and military offensives, remain under close watch due to their historical ties with drug syndicates.
Commanders of former Dawlah Islamiya and BIFF factions who surrendered through 6ID’s reconciliation program have earlier admitted that the groups had provided sanctuary to drug dealers and other criminals in exchange for financial support.
Authorities vowed to intensify operations against the drug-terror nexus, citing the grave security risks posed by the collaboration between narcotics syndicates and violent extremist groups.