LAWMEN have arrested two alleged big-time drug personalities and seized P1 million worth of illegal drugs in an anti-drug operation in the province of Maguindanao, officials said Thursday, January 7.
Lieutenant General Corleto Vinluan Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), identified the arrested suspects as Sabir Tahir Omar alias Bertos Taher Omar, and Enar Lumawan Bulilo alias Jabbar.
Vinluan said the two were nabbed in a buy-bust operation around 11 a.m. Wednesday at the public market of Dalican village in Datu Odin Sinsuat town, Maguindanao.
Recovered from the two suspects were some 250 grams of shabu packed in five heat-sealed plastic sachets and worth P1 million, six bundles of P600,000 boodle money topped with one genuine P1,000 bill as marked money, three cellular phones, wallets and identification cards, one black sling bag, and one motorcycle.
Vinluan said the suspects were placed under the custody of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm) for proper disposition.
Colonel Ferdinand Lacadin, 1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion officer-in-charge, said they will continue to conduct law enforcement support operations with the police and other law enforcement agencies to prevent the proliferation of illegal drugs in the province of Maguindanao.
Meanwhile, Major General Juvymax Uy, commander of the Joint Task Force Central, said they will continue to fulfill their mandate to end terrorism and "assist our partners in deterring crimes and expediting the arrest of lawless elements in our area of operation."
The suspects were arrested by joint team of the 6th Infantry Division, 2nd Mechanized Battalion, PDEA-Barmm, and Datu Odin Sinsuat Municipal Police Station. (SunStar Zamboanga)