COTABATO CITY – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Wednesday announced the arrest of a couple involved in high profile trade of illegal drugs in a joint law enforcement operation in the nearby province of Maguindanao.
Juvenal Azurin, regional director of PDEA in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-ARMM), said the couple, Kutin Guiamel alis Kutin, 52, and his wife, Jenny Abdullah, 37, was arrested on Tuesday in Barangay Makir, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao.
Azurin said they were arrested in a law enforcement operation by way of serving search warrant issued by the Branch 13 of the Regional Trial Court (RTC).
“The couple is our high value target and both are active drug group members operating in Cotabato City, and in Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat provinces,” Azurin said.
He said the arresting team seized from the suspects four big-sized heat-sealed plastic sachets of suspected shabu with an estimated PHP100,000 market value, an unlicensed .9-mm Luger sub-machinegun with ammunition, and bank documents believed to be transactions involving proceeds from the illegal drug trade.
He said the arresting team comrpised of personnel from the Army’s 90th Infantry Battalion, Datu Odin Sinsuat Police nd PDEA-ARMM.
He said charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and Republic Act 10591 (illegal possession of firearm and ammunition) will be filed against the couple, who are detained at the PDEA-ARMM office. (Edwin Fernandez/PNA)