TWO drug couriers from Marawi City were nabbed upon their arrival in Davao City as they carried around P700,000 worth of illegal drugs, which were seized during anti-illegal drug operations on Wednesday, October 9.
The Drug Enforcement Team of Buhangin (PS5) under Davao City Police Office in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (Pdea) 11 seized 55 grams of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu and other drug paraphernalia from the suspects.
The arrested suspects were identified as Saybin Abubakar Mala, alias “Paolo” a street-level target (SLT) listed in the Directorate for Intelligence (DI) watch list, 19, unemployed, and Jalanie Panondi Panganiban alias “Bryan”, also a street-level target (STL), 18, unemployed. Both are residents of Barangay Sugod in Marawi City.
Based on the investigation, at around 1:30 a.m. on October 9, the suspects arrived in Davao City from Marawi where they, together with the informant, agreed to transfer their transaction from C.P. Garcia Highway, Buhangin to Magallanes Street in Davao City particularly beside Metro Bank.
An operative who posed as buyer bought one piece plastic sachet containing white crystalline substance believed to be shabu worth P60,000. This prompted the operatives to handcuff the two suspects after the transaction.
Recovered from the suspects were 10 pieces plastic sachets containing white crystalline substance of suspected shabu and marked money.
All confiscated drugs items having an estimated total weight of 55 grams have a street market value of around P660,000. The suspects who are currently detained at Buhangin PS will be charged with violations of Section 5 and 11 of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.