5 drug suspects nabbed in Mindanao raids

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Five suspected drug traffickers were arrested in separate operations in North Cotabato and Maguindanao last Friday.

Abdulsalam Pakan and his relative, Wahida, were arrested after they allegedly sold shabu to an undercover agent in Talayan, Maguindanao, said Felimon Ruiz, director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Ruiz said village officials helped the police and PDEA agents arrest the suspects, who allegedly yielded P90,000 worth of shabu and drug paraphernalia.

The arrest of the Pakans came barely two hours after agents of PDEA-Region 12 arrested in another sting three suspected drug traffickers in Kidapawan City.

Omar Maruhom, Muslima Sarip and Rohannie Salik were placed under PDEA’s custody and will be turned over to the North Cotabato’s provincial jail next week. More than P100,000 worth of shabu were allegedly seized from them.