Friday, December 19, 2008 Drug agency raids den, arrests 20 people
PERSONNEL of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) raided a suspected drug den and arrested 20 people in Pagadian City, the capital of Zamboanga del Sur province, an anti-drug agent disclosed.
PDEA Southern Mindanao Director Adzar Albani said the raid was carried out on the strength of a search warrant issued by a local court around 11 p.m. Wednesday along Rizal Avenue in downtown Pagadian City.
Albani however revealed that the two owners of the alleged drug den have managed to escape from the clutches of the raiding team.
Albani said the two drug den operators, who are known drug pushers, are in the watch list of his agency.
He withheld the identities of the two pending their arrest.
He disclosed that the drug den had been under surveillance for the past months.
He described the drug den as a sort of a "one-stop shop" since users could hold pot sessions within the compound after buying stuffs.
He said the 20 people arrested were caught having a pot session when the raiding team swooped down on the drug den.
He disclosed that the raiding team recovered a close-circuit television (CCTV) camera, aside from the prohibited drugs and paraphernalia, from the drug den.
Cases for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 were filed against the arrested drug users as well as against the two drug den operators, according to Albani.
Albani said they are also monitoring a farm in the region believed to be a marijuana plantation.
He did not disclose the specific details so as not to jeopardize the operations of his office. (Bong Garcia)
