DATU PAGLAS, Maguindanao del Sur — Authorities successfully dismantled a drug den and arrested three suspected drug personalities in a joint anti-drug operation conducted late Friday afternoon, March 27, in Purok Gawad Kalinga, Barangay Poblacion.
The coordinated buy-bust operation, carried out at around 5:45 p.m., was led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), in close coordination with the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Datu Paglas Municipal Police Station, and the Maguindanao del Sur Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit.
Identified by PDEA Maguindanao del Sur Provincial Officer IOV Marlon Santos, the arrested suspects were known by their aliases “Allan,” tagged as the alleged drug den maintainer, along with his cohorts “Freddie” and “Basco,” all residents of the area.
Authorities seized more than five grams of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of ₱35,360. Also recovered during the operation were a caliber .45 pistol with ammunition, a magazine, an Android mobile phone, assorted drug paraphernalia, and the marked buy-bust money used in the entrapment.
Operatives reported that the suspects were caught in the act of selling illegal drugs to an undercover agent, leading to their immediate arrest and the subsequent dismantling of the drug den believed to have been operating within the community.
The successful operation highlights the intensified anti-illegal drug campaign in the region, particularly in identified drug-affected barangays. Authorities emphasized that the collaboration between law enforcement agencies and the military continues to play a crucial role in suppressing the proliferation of illegal drugs in BARMM.
The three suspects are now under the custody of authorities as charges are being prepared against them for violations of Republic Act No. 9165, which penalizes the sale, possession, and maintenance of drug dens in the Philippines.
Officials reiterated their call for continued public cooperation, urging communities to report suspicious activities as part of the broader effort to achieve safer and drug-free neighborhoods.