Sting ops yield P455-M shabu

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Authorities arrested two high-value drug suspects and seized approximately 67 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine, or shabu, with a street value of about P455.6 million, in a buy-bust operation Tuesday night.

Regional Drug Enforcement Unit 9 Chief Lt. Col. Gerald P. Gamboa identified the suspects as Mohammad Ikram Abdurajak and Airene Atis Valconcha. The operation took place around 8:30 p.m. in Barangay Bungiao.

Valconcha sustained injuries during the arrest and was taken to the Mindanao Central Sanitarium for medical treatment.

Police confiscated 67 vacuum-sealed packs of suspected shabu, a white Toyota Hilux, and two luggage bags used to conceal the drugs.

The seized evidence was transported to the Regional Forensic Unit 9 for examination.

Charges for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 are being prepared against the suspects.

The bust followed a separate operation earlier that day in which anti-narcotics agents arrested a former soldier and seized about four kilograms of suspected shabu worth P27.2 million.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency–Zamboanga del Sur provincial officer Cesario C. Judilla Jr. identified the suspect as Badri Sahdan Ibrahim, who was arrested at a gas station in Barangay Canelar.