Barangay tanod, 2 others nabbed in Cotabato bust

MANILA, Philippines - Anti-narcotics agents nabbed three suspected drug pushers, including a barangay tanod, during a sting operation in Cotabato City, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said on Thursday.

PDEA director general Arturo Cacdac Jr. identified the suspects as Hamid Saban Salik, 34, a high-value target drug personality and barangay tanod of Poblacion 3; Surab Abdullah Sedik, 38, pedicab driver; and Omar Midsel Butuan, 21. All arrested suspects are residents of Purok Maligaya, Bahay Maria, Poblacion 2, Cotabato City.

Last November 4, elements of PDEA Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao staged a buy-bust operation in Doña Teresa Extension, Poblacion 3, Cotabato City around 5:30 p.m. which resulted in the arrest of the three men.

Reports said the three sold a plastic sachet of suspected shabu to an undercover PDEA agent.

When further frisked, operatives seized from Sedik 110 pieces of plastic sachets containing white crystalline suspected to be shabu weighing approximately five grams and two pieces of P100 bills used as buy-bust money.

Cases for violation of Section 5 (Sale of Dangerous Drugs) and Section 11 (Possession of Dangerous Drugs), Article II of RA 9165 or The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, are now filed in court against Salik, Sedik and Butuan.