11 drug suspects charged

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – Eleven persons were charged before the city prosecutor’s office yesterday for violating anti-drug law, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said.

Juliet Caga-anan, information officer for PDEA Northern Mindanao, said the suspects were arrested following a search and seizure operation conducted by the combined forces of PDEA and the Philippine Army’s 4th Infantry Division in the suspects’ residences in Balongis, Barangay Balulang on Saturday.

Arrested by authorities were Junairah Macabago, Omar Macabago, Saripia Macabago, Lomala Itomama, Aquino Otto, Sansaru Imam, Macol Macabago, Abdul Rahim Macabago, Hadja Yasmen Macabago, Patu Muslim and Dawa Macarampat.

Agents made the arrest on the strength of search warrants 2010-09 to 2010-15 issued by Judge Jose Escobido of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 37.

Caga-anan said the operatives confiscated from the suspects some 40 small sachets containing what authorities believed as methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu, pieces of aluminum foil and other paraphernalia.

The PDEA could not yet determine the total worth of the seized packets of illegal substance, which are still being examined at the police crime laboratory at presstime.

“Some of the suspects were on PDEA’s target list,” Caga-anan told The Star yesterday.

The suspects, she said, would be charged with violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.