Maguindanao drug peddlers nabbed in Sarangani
GEN. SANTOS CITY -- Five drug peddlers from Maguindanao were arrested by police during drug buy bust and pursuit operations Wednesday night in Malapatan, Sarangani.
Police Brig. Gen. Eliseo Tam Rasco, police regional director for Region 12, said the police also seized nine sachets of suspected shabu, marked money, and boodle money (fake P1,000 bills) used in the buy bust from the five suspects.
Also seized was a gray Nissan X-Trail SUV (XNE-727) used by the suspects.
Rasco identified the suspects as Tato Mundas Mamalangkas, 29, driver, Nashif Mundas, 22, Sabri Salipada, 28, Habib Saligan, 21, and Jay-R Esmael, 18, all residents of Barangay Crossing Simuay, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.
They were arrested at a police checkpoint in front of Malapatan town hall after the Malapatan PNP received a call from other police units about the fleeing drug peddlers who escaped drug buy bust operation in nearby town of Alabel, also in Sarangani.
The five quickly fled at 6:30 p.m. after they sensed they were dealing with a police officer in the drug bust, boarded the vehicle and sped towards Gen. Santos City.
But they were arrested an hour later in Malapatan.
The suspects are now detained at Malapatan municipal police custodial facility while charges are being prepared against them.
Rasco lauded the coordination among police units that led to the arrest of the suspects. (EOF)