PDEA nabs 5 women in Cotabato sting

COTABATO CITY , Philippines — Police and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents seized P680,000 worth of shabu from five Maguindanaon women during a sting operation in Barangay Bagua 3 on Friday.

Gil Cesario Castro, PDEA-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao director, said the suspects ­– Salama Dimalen, Jasmin Dimalen, Mali Ukas, Iran Ukas and Baican Omar – were arrested after trading with policemen and PDEA agents along Mabini street.

Castro said the five have long been the subjects of surveillance by the Bangsamoro PDEA and police intelligence units for their large-scale peddling of shabu in the interior barangays of Cotabato City and in nearby towns of Maguindanao del Norte.

Complaints for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs of 2002 will be filed against the detained suspects.