SITANGKAI, Tawi-Tawi — A Malaysian national and his Filipina accomplice were arrested in a high-impact anti-drug operation that led to the seizure of ₱3.4 million worth of suspected shabu in this southern island municipality on Wednesday morning, April 8, authorities reported.
Operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in the Bangsamoro region, backed by police and military units, conducted a coordinated buy-bust operation in Barangay Suwang Pukol that resulted in the arrest of Mohammad Bin Sabdani, 45, a Malaysian citizen from Kunak, Sabah, and his alleged local cohort, Nashra Alih, a resident of Sitangkai.
According to Edgar Jubay, director of PDEA in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the suspects were apprehended immediately after selling illegal drugs to an undercover operative during the entrapment operation around 6:30 to 7:30 a.m.
Confiscated from the suspects were approximately 500 grams of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) with a standard drug value of ₱3.4 million. Authorities also recovered a .30 caliber M1 Garand rifle, a 9mm pistol, ammunition, mobile phones, and ₱700,000 worth of boodle money used in the operation.
The operation was led by PDEA Tawi-Tawi Provincial Office under Agent Abraham Solon Kalim, in close coordination with the Philippine National Police units, including the Sitangkai Municipal Police Station and Tawi-Tawi Provincial Police Office, as well as elements of the Philippine Marines and regional intelligence units.
Local government officials and traditional leaders from the Sama and Tausug communities in Sitangkai confirmed on Thursday that they played a key role in planning and supporting the anti-narcotics operation—highlighting strong community cooperation in curbing the illegal drug trade in the island province.
In separate statements, Jubay and Jaysen De Guzman, regional director of the Police Regional Office-BARMM, expressed gratitude to local executives and community leaders for their assistance, noting that such collaboration is crucial in sustaining intensified anti-drug efforts in geographically isolated areas like Tawi-Tawi.
Authorities said Sabdani, who allegedly used the alias “Utto,” is believed to be part of a cross-border drug network operating between Sabah and the southern Philippines, taking advantage of porous maritime borders.
Both suspects are now under the custody of PDEA-BARMM and are set to face charges for violation of Republic Act 9165. Additional charges for illegal possession of firearms are also being prepared against them.
The successful operation underscores the government’s continuing crackdown on transnational drug trafficking and highlights the importance of inter-agency coordination and community involvement in addressing security threats in the Bangsamoro region.