PHILIPPINE Drug Enforcement Agency operatives are currently hot on the trail of the main source of over P70 million worth of shabu confiscated from three top drug targets in Metro Manila late last week, PDEA chair, Director General Wilkins M. Villanueva said.

According to the PDEA chief, his men are following-up information provided by the suspects following their arrest. He identified the suspects as Jealal Shaikalabi Mimbalawag, Arabilla Jamoram Leono and Musa Nasrudin Baguilan.

Mimbalawag, a 23-year old resident of Quiapo, Manila was arrested after he sold five kilos of the so-called ‘poor man’s cocaine’ to an undercover officer along C5 Extension in Barangay Manuyo I, Las Piñas City around 5 p.m. Saturday.

A follow-up operation led in the arrest of Leono,29, during a sting in Countryhomes, Woodsrow-1, Bgy. Talon Dos. Another five kilos of shabu were confiscated during the sting.

Villanueva said that recovered from the suspects’ possession were 10 kilograms of shabu concealed in tea packs with Chinese markings, the buy-bust money topped by several marked bills and their vehicles.

The 3rd suspect was arrested in a sting in front of the Bureau of Immigration office along Magallanes Drive in Intramuros, Manila 11:45 a.m. Sunday. Recovered during the operation were around 500 grams of shabu valued at P3.4 million.

All suspects are now being held at the PDEA lock-up facility in Quezon City facing non-bailable charges for sale and possession of prohibited drugs under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, said Villanueva.

The PDEA chief said that his men were assisted by operatives from the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, the Task Force Noah of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group, the National Capital Region Police Office and the Southern Police District during the conduct of the t entrapment operations.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Alfred P. Dalizon