Drug den closed, 4 operators arrested in Cotabato operations

COTABATO CITY — Agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and policemen arrested four drug dealers operating a drug den in an entrapment operation in Barangay Bagua 3 in this city on Wednesday.

City officials and barangay leaders told reporters on Thursday that the suspects are now detained in the office of the PDEA-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) at the PC Hill area in Cotabato City.

Edgar T. Jubay, director of the PDEA-BARMM, told reporters on Thursday that the four suspects were immediately arrested during a trade-off right in their drug den in Barangay Bagua 3.

Mr. Jubay said the operation that led to their arrest was laid with the help of Cotabato City’s police director, Col. Jibin M. Bongcayao, the office of Mayor Bruce C. Matabalao and his constituent barangay officials and traditional Moro community leaders.

Mr. Jubay said their agents have confiscated 12 grams of crystal meth (shabu), costing P81,600, which will be used as evidence in prosecuting them for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Barangay officials said a companion of the four suspects managed to escape when he sensed that they had sold shabu to anti-narcotics operatives.

The drug den of the four now detained shabu dealers is now guarded together by barangay officials and volunteer community watchmen. — John Felix M. Unson