Marawi City: Anti-narcotics agents supported by police special forces arrested two suspected drug peddlers, including a provincial security force employee, and confiscated PHP3.4 million worth of shabu in a buy-bust operation in Marawi City on Wednesday afternoon.

According to Philippines News Agency, Gil Cesario Castro, regional director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-BARMM), identified the suspects as ‘Alex,’ 42, a member of the provincial security force and a resident of Tamparan, Lanao del Sur, and ‘Muning,’ 33, of Barangay Tampilong, Marawi City.

‘They have been under surveillance for about three weeks before Wednesday’s entrapment,’ Castro said in a statement on Thursday.

The operation, conducted with the Police Special Action Force and the Marawi City Police Office, led to the seizure of five large sachets of shabu weighing 500 grams, buy-bust money, two mobile phones, various identification cards, and a motorcycle.

The suspects are currently detained at the PDEA-BARMM jail facility and face inquest proceedings for violations of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Since Jan. 1, PDEA-BARMM has seized approximately PHP15 million worth of shabu in operations across the region, covering the provinces of Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, and Tawi-Tawi, as well as the cities of Cotabato, Marawi, and Lamitan, and the eight municipalities in BARMM’s Special Geographic Area.