ZAMBOANGA CITY — A police officer assigned under the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) was arrested in a high-stakes anti-drug operation conducted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Saturday afternoon along Bagong Dalan in Barangay Sta. Maria, authorities confirmed.
The suspect was identified as PSSg. Nager Indal Abdulbasir, 45, a resident of Barangay Sta. Catalina and reportedly assigned in Basilan Province under the BARMM police force.
Operatives arrested Abdulbasir during a buy-bust operation carried out near one of the well-known restaurants along Bagong Dalan, an area frequented by residents and motorists. Authorities said the operation stemmed from intelligence reports linking the suspect to illegal drug activities.
Recovered from the suspect were approximately two kilograms of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of ₱6.8 million, based on prevailing market prices. Also confiscated were the suspect’s service firearm, a 9mm pistol with magazines and live ammunition, along with two bundles of marked boodle money used in the entrapment operation.
The arrest of an active police officer has sent shockwaves through the local community, raising serious concerns over the possible involvement of law enforcement personnel in the illegal drug trade.
Authorities have yet to determine whether the confiscated narcotics were intended for distribution within Zamboanga City or nearby provinces in the Zamboanga Peninsula and BARMM areas. Investigators are also probing possible connections of the suspect to larger drug syndicates operating in Western Mindanao.
PDEA agents immediately brought the suspect into custody for documentation and the filing of appropriate charges for violations of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, along with possible firearms-related offenses.
As of press time, the Police Regional Office-BARMM has not issued any official statement regarding the arrest of its personnel.
The incident further underscores the continuing challenge faced by authorities in cleansing the ranks of law enforcement agencies amid the government’s intensified campaign against illegal drugs.