SAGUIRAN, Lanao del Sur -- An estimated one kilo of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu transported to Marawi City was intercepted by authorities in a checkpoint in Pawak, Saguiran town, this province about 6:30 p.m., October 21.
The joint operation was conducted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency(PDEA) from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm).
“Two females on board a light brown Hyundai Tucson with temporary plate number MO5426 from Iligan City was flagged down. By plain view, a white substance contained in a transparent plastic was seen,” said Colonel Joselito Pastrana, commanding officer of 65th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army.
“Inupuan nito ng isang bata at her minor age at nakita ng mga tropa ang parte ng plastic, thus it yielded a suspected shabu," said Pastrana.
Pastrana identified the two suspected couriers as Raihana Disalo, 23 years old and a 10 year-old-girl, both residents of Saduc, Marawi City.
The suspects were brought inside the 65th IB battalion headquarters for questioning and later, the two suspects were brought to PDEA Armm in Cotabato City while the vehicle was impounded inside the army camp for custody.
“We will give all our efforts to support the president’s mandate to intensify and eradicate the proliferation of illegal drug trade and other form of criminalities in Lanao del Sur and Marawi City which is one of the suspected large volume source of shabu,” said Pastrana.
"We will intensify the elimination of drug menace in the anti-drug campaign and we will not tolerate this illegal activities. We will not hesitate to enforce the rule of law with the support of our law enforcement agencies counterparts to include the three battalions of 65th, 51st 49th IB and Armor Battalion under 103rd Infantry Brigade in kampor Ranao,” said Police Senior Inspector Epream Paguyod, chief of 3rd maneuver company from .
“This is the first big catch of intercepted illegal drugs in Lanao del Sur,” said Marlon Santos PDEA Armm operations chief. Santos estimated the street value of one kilo of shabu at P10,000 once the substance will be repacked and distributed to the drug users.
"We are still verifying reports of a suspected shabu laboratory and intensify our campaign on illegal drugs in Marawi City and Lanao del Sur,” added Santos.