ZAMBOANGA CITY – Authorities have arrested five suspects and seized some PHP175,500 worth of illegal drugs in recent anti-drug operations in the region, the police announced Wednesday.
Brig. Gen. Ronaldo Genaro Ylagan, Police Regional Office-9 (PRO-9) director, identified the arrested suspects as Sarira Ashmad, 26; Gilbert Alpa, 32; Nasser Adjula, 39; Madzki Musad, 38; and, Mark Ahl Balbosa, 24.
Ashmad was arrested by a joint team of police, military, and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) operatives in an anti-drug operation at around 11:55 a.m. Tuesday in Purok Gumamela, Barangay Tenan, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.
Recovered from Ashmad were some seven grams of suspected shabu worth PHP47,600, a .22 caliber sniper rifle, and 13 pieces of PHP1,000 boodle money topped with one genuine PHP500 marked money.
At around 12:40 p.m. Tuesday, policemen arrested Alpa in a buy-bust operation and seized from him some PHP20,400 worth of illegal drugs, PHP500 marked money, and illegal drug paraphernalia in Purok Sampaguita, Barangay Don Andres, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.
Meanwhile, operatives of the Zamboanga City Police Office’s (ZCPO) Station 4 and 1st Zamboanga City Mobile Force Company arrested Adjula in an anti-drug operation around 12:55 a.m. Tuesday in Barangay Taluksangay, this city.
Ylagan said confiscated from Adjula were some PHP4,500 worth of suspected shabu, PHP200 marked money, a sling bag, and a rifle grenade.
Musad was arrested by the ZCPO’s Station 6 operatives in a search warrant operation at around 2 p.m. Monday in Sitio Campong Landang, Barangay Arena Blanco, here. He yielded some 4.11 grams of suspected shabu worth PHP28,000.
Balbosa yielded some eight grams of suspected shabu PHP75,000, a motorcycle, and PHP200 marked money during his arrest in an anti-drug operation around 10:05 p.m. Monday in Purok 3, Barangay Lopoc, Labason, Zamboanga del Norte.
Ylagan said that charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002 will be filed against the arrested suspects.
Meanwhile, Ashmad and Adjula will face additional charges for illegal possession of firearms and explosives
Source: Philippines News Agency
