FIVE individuals were arrested as authorities have dismantled a drug den in Cotabato City, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said Thursday, August 21, 2025.
Gil Cesario Castro, director of PDEA in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm), identified the five arrested suspects through their aliases as Teddy, 32, the drug den maintainer; Marlon, 44; Zol, 28; Joharto, 35; and, Abad, 32. They are all residents of Cotabato City.
Castro said the drug den was dismantled and the suspects arrested in a buy-bust operation around 12:05 a.m. Thursday, August 21, in Purok Kabuntalan, Poblacion Mother village, Cotabato City.
He said confiscated during the buy-bust operation were 13 pieces of heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets containing some 15 grams of suspected shabu worth P102,000, buy-bust money, a mobile phone, and various drug paraphernalia.
Castro said the arrested suspects will be charged for violation the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
The anti-drug operation was spearheaded by the PDEA Maguindanao del Norte Provincial Office with the support of other PDEA and police units. (SunStar Zamboanga)