ZAMBOANGA CITY — Authorities arrested 13 individuals, including two alleged drug syndicate members, and confiscated close to half-a-million worth of illegal drugs in separate anti-drug operations the past two days throughout Region 9, a top police official said Monday.
Chief Supt. Emmanuel Luis Licup, director of the Police Regional Office in Region 9 (PRO-9), identified the arrested suspects as follows: Halid Alim, 32; Joey Rafaela, 41; Gilbert Tampus, 26; Julsar Ismael, 23; Seeta Ismael, 43; Sagddi Jaron, 30; Julosan Ismael, 24; Sherihan Abdurahman; Radzwin Abdurahman; Abdulbasir Dasma; Sherhan Jama; Alwahid Arellano; and, Aison Masilde.
Licup said Alim was caught in possession of PHP204,000 worth of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride–commonly known as shabu–packed in 30 heat-sealed plastic sachets when arrested in a buy-bust operation around 5:05 p.m. Sunday in Barangay Kasanyangan, this city.
Licup said also recovered from the possession of Alim–allegedly a major distributor of illegal drugs in Kasanyangan–were the PHP1,000 marked money consisting of three PHP200 and four PHP100 bills.
Rafaela and Tampus were arrested in a buy-bust operation around 3:30 p.m. Sunday in Sitio Caragasan, Barangay Maasin, this city.
Seized from the possessions of the two were two sachets of suspected shabu worth PHP400, and the PHP200 marked money.
Licup said that two Ismaels (Julsar and Seeta), who are alleged members of the Sahibad drug syndicate, were arrested around 2:05 p.m. Sunday in Barangay Bucana, Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte.
He said the other Ismael (Julosan) and Jaron were caught having a pot session at the residence of Juslar.
He said the two Abdurahmans (Sherihan and Radwin) were arrested around 9:30 a.m. Saturday in Barangay Recodo, this city.
Confiscated from them were PHP80,000 worth of illegal drugs packed in one large, one medium and one small sized of heat-sealed plastic sachets and PHP600 marked money comprising of six PHP100 bills.
Licup said Dasma was arrested in a buy-bust operation around 7:30 a.m. Saturday at a motel in Barangay Canelar, this city.
Seized from Dasma were PHP200,000 worth of suspected shabu packed in 10 heat-sealed plastic sachets and PHP300 marked money comprising of three PHP100 bills.
Jama and Arellano yielded PHP800 worth of shabu and PHP200 marked money when arrested around 12:30 p.m. Saturday in Barangay Recodo, this city.
Licup said Masilde was caught in possession of PHP2,000 worth of suspected shabu packed in five heat-sealed plastic sachets and PHP300 marked money when arrested around 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Barangay Talon-Talon, this city. ( Teofilo Garcia, Jr/PNA)
