SULTAN KUDARAT, Maguindanao del Norte — A joint anti-illegal drug operation by police and drug enforcement agents led to the arrest of five individuals and the dismantling of a suspected drug den in Barangay Ladia on Wednesday afternoon, March 18, authorities reported.
The buy-bust operation, conducted at around 4:00 p.m., was spearheaded by operatives of the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit of the Police Regional Office Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (RDEU-PRO BAR), in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Sultan Kudarat Municipal Police Station (MPS).
Police identified the primary suspect as Monira Ombo, also known by the alias “Babo,” 46, who was tagged as a suspected drug den operator. According to authorities, Ombo was apprehended after allegedly selling a sachet of suspected shabu worth ₱500 to an undercover poseur buyer, triggering the arrest.
Also taken into custody were four other individuals identified by their aliases as Saikona, Mandog, Kalid, and Andy Rose, all of legal age and residents of the same barangay. Reports indicated that the four were caught in the act of engaging in a pot session inside the suspect’s store during the operation.
Seized from the suspects were approximately 3.05 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of ₱23,960, along with the marked buy-bust money and various drug paraphernalia, including improvised glass tooters and other equipment used for drug consumption.
Authorities said the operation was carried out with proper coordination with the PDEA, in compliance with standard anti-drug protocols. The suspects were also informed of their constitutional rights following their arrest.
All five individuals are now under police custody at the Sultan Kudarat MPS detention facility and are set to face charges for violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Law enforcement officials reiterated their call for public cooperation in the ongoing campaign against illegal drugs, emphasizing that community support remains crucial in identifying and dismantling drug-related activities at the grassroots level.
The successful operation underscores the government’s continuing efforts to curb the proliferation of illegal drugs in the Bangsamoro region, particularly through intensified intelligence-driven operations targeting both drug personalities and dens operating within communities.