A 38-YEAR-OLD man escaped while a woman was arrested in separate anti-drug operations that resulted in the confiscation of P304,912 worth of illegal drugs in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm).
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Barmm said alias Thats, a known plea bargainer with previous involvement in illegal drug activities, managed to escape during the buy-bust on Tuesday, March 24, in Purok Waling-Waling, Bagua Mother village, Cotabato City.
Confiscated and recovered were around 20 grams of shabu packed in 10 heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets worth P136,000, a mobile phone, buy-bust money, and various drug paraphernalia.
The PDEA-Barmm said that Thats had a prior arrest for drug-related violations and had previously availed himself of a plea bargaining agreement in 2023.
Authorities are currently conducting follow-up operations to locate and apprehend Thats.
Charges for violations of Sections 5 and 11 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 are being prepared against the suspect.
The PDEA-Barmm launched the anti-drug operation with the support of the police units.
Police Colonel Caezar Cabuhat, Lanao del Sur police director, did not release the identity of the arrested woman, but said she was classified as high-value individual (HVI) drug suspect.
Cabuhat said the HVI suspect was arrested in a buy-bust Tuesday, March 24, at her residence in Raya Saduc village, Marawi City, Lanao del Sur.
Seized from her were around 24 grams of shabu worth P168,912, buy-bust money, a digital weighing scale, and other non-drug pieces of evidence.
The arrested suspect, along with the confiscated pieces of evidence, was brought to the Marawi City Police Station for proper disposition.
Charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 are being prepared against her.
Cabuhat said they will continue to intensify efforts to eradicate the proliferation of illegal drugs and ensure that those involved are held accountable under the law. (SunStar Zamboanga)