ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/06 February) – Agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) backed by policemen arrested seven persons, including an alleged member of a drug syndicate, in separate buy-bust operations in the region, PDEA regional director Adzhar Albani announced on Friday.
Albani said four of the suspects, including the alleged syndicate member, were arrested in a buy-bust operation around 3 p.m. Thursday in Barangay Lower Calarian.
Albani said the three other suspects were arrested in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Marketsite, Isabela City in Basilan.
Arrested in Lower Calarian were Jul-Ambri Samsaraji, 38, a member of the Alih Drug Group and a former soldier; Ali Lim, 33; Sanani Sali, 30; and, Abdulhakim Sabbaani, 45.
Albani alleged that the Alih Drug Group is involved in the proliferation of shabu in the different barangays in this southern port city.
Albani said Samsaraji was arrested in a suspected drug den in Barangay Lower Calarian after he sold a heat-sealed plastic sachet containing shabu for P200 to a PDEA agent, who posed as a buyer.
Albani said Lim, Sali and Sabbaani were arrested while having pot session at the residence of Samsaraji.
The PDEA team recovered the P200 marked money from Samsaraji’s possession and other illegal drug paraphernalia at the residence of Samsaraji.
Arrested in Barangay Marketsite at around noontime Thursday were Emma Actub, Riza Joy Gilo and Jhun Ray Actub.
Albani said they were arrested after they handed over a heat-sealed small plastic sachet of shabu to a PDEA agent who posed as a buyer.
The combined PDEA and police team recovered from them P500 marked money used in the buy-bust operation and other illegal drug paraphernalia, Albani said. (MindaNews)