A TARGET-LISTED drug personality and a village official were arrested, while P408,000 worth of shabu were seized in separate anti-drug operations in Tawi-Tawi and Zamboanga Sibugay, an official said.

Edgar Jubay, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) assistant regional director, identified the arrested suspects as Junaida Arasad, 31, a target-listed drug personality; and Derlito Magnanao, 41, the village chief of Culasian, Titay, Zamboanga Sibugay.

Jubay said Arasad was caught in possession of P374,000 worth of shabu when arrested around 3:30 a.m. Friday, January 31, in the village of Hadji Imam Bidin, Sibutu, Tawi-Tawi.

Also recovered from Arasad were a caliber .45 pistol with live ammunition, a bundle of boodle money topped with one genuine P1,000 bill, coin purse, a plastic container, and several illegal drug paraphernalia.

But Arasad's cohort, Jojo Arasad, managed to elude arrest, according to Jubay.

He said the arresting team recovered from Magnanao P34,000 worth of shabu and P500 marked money when arrested in a drug bust around 7:30 p.m. Thursday in Purok African Daisy in the village of Culasian, Titay, Zamboanga Sibugay.

He said Magnanao is listed as the Top 6 Provincial Target of PDEA and the high-value target of police in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay.

He said the two suspects were arrested by joint teams of PDEA agents, soldiers and policemen.

He said the two were detained while appropriate charges are set to be filed against them. (SunStar Zamboanga)