A suspected drug pusher was arrested while more than ₱170,000 worth of suspected shabu was seized during an anti-drug operation conducted Sunday afternoon, May 24, in Barangay Dalumangcob, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte.
Authorities identified the suspect as 27-year-old Aga Dala Badtican, a farmer and resident of the municipality of Datu Odin Sinsuat.
According to the Sultan Kudarat Municipal Police Station (MPS), the operation was launched after residents reported the alleged illegal activities of the suspect, prompting authorities to conduct surveillance operations in the area.
Police said barangay officials allegedly caught the suspect and another unidentified individual engaging in a suspicious transaction in Barangay Dalumangcob. Upon noticing the presence of authorities, the two men reportedly attempted to flee.
Badtican was apprehended during the operation, while his companion managed to escape and remains the subject of an ongoing manhunt.
Recovered from the arrested suspect were five sachets containing suspected shabu weighing around 25 grams with an estimated street value of more than ₱170,000. Authorities also confiscated a cellular phone and an identification card believed to be connected to the suspect.
PLTCOL Esmael Madin, chief of the Sultan Kudarat MPS, confirmed the arrest and said the operation forms part of the intensified anti-illegal drug campaign in the province.
“The successful operation was made possible through the cooperation of concerned residents and barangay officials who immediately reported the suspicious activities,” Madin said.
The confiscated illegal drugs will undergo laboratory examination while investigators continue to track down the escaped suspect.
Badtican is currently detained at the Sultan Kudarat MPS custodial facility and is set to face charges for violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Authorities reiterated their call for public cooperation in reporting illegal drug activities to help maintain peace and order in communities across Maguindanao del Norte.