4 drug den operators arrested in Sultan Kudarat

COTABATO CITY — Agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 12 seized P40,000 worth of shabu from four men operating a clandestine drug den in Barangay San Emmanuel, Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat, on Friday, February 27.

The suspects, three passenger vehicle drivers and one mechanic, are now in the custody of PDEA 12 and will face prosecution for violations of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Charlene Magdurulang, director of PDEA 12, told reporters on Sunday, March 1, that the suspects were immediately frisked and handcuffed after selling six grams of shabu, worth P40,800, to agents during a trade-off inside their drug den along a highway in Purok Waya-Waya, Barangay San Emmanuel.

Magdurulang said the entrapment operation was conducted with the support of units from the Police Regional Office 12, led by Brig. Gen. Arnold Ardiente, and local executives who reported the suspects’ shabu peddling in Barangay San Emmanuel and other areas of Tacurong City.

Local officials and PRO 12 personnel assisting PDEA 12 noted that all four men hosted drug sessions in their den for buyers of illegal substances.

Under Philippine law, operating a drug den is a non-bailable offense.