8 arrested in Region 9 anti-drug ops

ZAMBOANGA CITY–Police arrested eight people, including a high-value drug personality, in separate anti-drug operations and seized counterfeit money here in Region 9, an official said Saturday.

Chief Insp. Helen Galvez, Police Regional Office-9 (PRO-9) information officer, identified the arrested suspects as Sultan Antao, 26; Jeshon Segovia, 26; Jayson Alvarez, 23; Saidali Aba, 30; Mohammad Parsi Hamis, 33; Vanessa Yusop, 33; Nabel Narawi, 30; and Abdul Asaali.

Galvez said Antao, who is listed as a high-value target, was arrested around 7:30 p.m. Friday in Ramon Magsaysay Street, Salug, Zamboanga del Norte.

Seized from Antao’s possession were three heat-sealed plastic sachets of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride commonly known as shabu; PHP500 marked money; a cellular phone; a motorcycle; and, illegal drugs paraphernalia.

Galvez said that Segovia and Alvarez yielded one medium-sized heat-sealed plastic sachet of suspected shabu, a cellular phone, and PHP2,000 marked money when arrested around 10 p.m. Friday in Purok Caimito, Barangay Sanito, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.

She said one large-sized heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet of suspected shabu was seized from Aba, who was arrested in a buy-bust operation around 6:30 p.m. Friday at a lodging house in Zone 2, Barangay Tiguma, Pagadian City.

Hamis and Yusop were arrested in a law enforcement operation through service of search warrant around 11:30 a.m. Friday in Sitio Sinaburan, Barangay San Pedro, Tungawan, Zamboanga Sibugay, she said.

Confiscated from them were 67 pieces of counterfeit PHP500 bills; two small-sized transparent plastic sachets of suspected shabu; a cellular phone; and, illegal drug paraphernalia.

Galvez said Nawari was found in possession of two large and five medium-sized heat-sealed plastic sachets of suspected shabu, PHP500 marked money and illegal drugs paraphernalia when arrested around 4 a.m. Saturday in Kalasahan Drive, Barangay Mampang, Zamboanga City.

Asaali was caught in possession of two small-sized plastic sachets of suspected shabu, PHP200 marked money and illegal drugs paraphernalia when arrested around 3:45 p.m. Friday in Purok 1, Barangay Recodo, Zamboanga City. (Teofilo Garcia, Jr/PNA)

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