ZAMBOANGA CITY — Authorities have confiscated PHP5 million worth of illegal drugs and arrested five people, including a suspected member of a drug syndicate, in an anti-drug operation in this city, an official announced Monday.
The confiscation was so far the third biggest haul in the government’s anti-drug operations since last month here in Western Mindanao.
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Regional Director Lyndon Aspacio identified the arrested suspects as Sahari Sabturani alias Dante Solaiman, 37; Gasi Hadjirul, 42; Albajir Sanny; and, couple Ryan and Kizzie Rajan, both 30 years old.
Aspacio disclosed that Sabturani, who was the main target of the anti-drug operation, is a suspected member of the Kubal Drug Group.
He said the suspects were arrested in a buy-bust operation at around 2:45 p.m. Saturday at the parking lot of a hotel in Barangay Sta. Maria, this city.
He said confiscated from the suspects were one-kilogram of suspected shabu worth PhP5 million; PhP3,000 placed on top of three bundles of neatly-cut papers made to appear as PhP1.5 million used as buy-bust money; one unit Sports Utility Vehicle key; and, one motorcycle also with key.
Cases for violation of Section 26 (Attempt or Conspiracy) in relation to Section 5 (Selling of Illegal Drugs), of Article II of Republic Act 9165 otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 will be filed in court against the suspects.
The PDEA agents were backed by operatives of the Naval Intelligence Service Group (NISG) and Task Force Zamboanga when the buy-bust operation was carried out on Saturday.
Saturday’s confiscation of PhP5 million suspected shabu was the third biggest drug haul here in Western Mindanao since last month.
The first was also worth PhP5 million of suspected shabu in a buy-bust operation on November 3 in Barangay Canelar, this city and the second, was PhP1.5 million on November 20 in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi. (Teofilo Garcia, Jr/PNA)
