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MARAWI CITY (MindaNews/26 July) — Agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency together with elements from the 103rd Brigade and 65th Infantry Battalion seized P700,000 worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Padian, Marawi City last Friday.
Aside from the shabu that was packed in 200 sachets weighing100 grams each, the operatives also seized 80 video karera machines, one M-16 rifle, one M-203 grenade launcher and two caliber .45 pistols.
During the raid the operatives arrested two police officers who were detained for further investigation and drug test.
Edwin Layese, PDEA director in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao who led the operation expressed relief that it was successful and nobody got hurt.
“When I was transferred here to head PDEA in ARMM last month it gave me a challenge to push with what I’ve started in Region 10. The raided area is notoriously known here among locals as Lumber and has been a primary drug hub or shabu tiangge for a while. I ask the people and the local government units here in ARMM to support us in our fight against illegal drugs and our efforts would not be made possible without them,” Layese said.
The 103rd Infantry Brigade provided 60 soldiers to the raiding team
“For years, local law enforcement authorities have been unable to do anything about the problem due to the culture of rido or fear of reprisal. We hope that through these joint efforts this would be the start of a new drug-free Marawi,” brigade commander Col. Daniel Lucero said. (Erwin Mascarinas/MindaNews)