Misamis oriental: The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has apprehended three individuals, including a municipal councilor from Misamis Oriental, for alleged involvement in illegal drug activities. The arrests were made on Monday, following the execution of three separate search warrants across different locations.
According to Philippines News Agency, one of the arrested individuals was identified as Shalako Uba, a 49-year-old municipal councilor from Magsaysay town. The arrest occurred during a raid in Barangay Candiis. Uba has denied any involvement in illegal drug trading activities.
The other two individuals were apprehended in different areas within Magsaysay. One of the suspects, the son of a barangay chairman, was arrested in Barangay Kibungsod. This suspect has been a regional target for both PDEA and the Police Regional Office (PRO) 10, which operates across neighboring regions and provinces. The third suspect was taken into custody in Barangay Artadi.
PDEA-Misamis Oriental agents reported seizing approximately 100 grams of “shabu” during the raids at the suspects’ residences. Expedito Cardona, the lead agent from PDEA Misamis Oriental, expressed optimism that these arrests contribute significantly to efforts aimed at eliminating illegal drugs from the region. He emphasized that Magsaysay is the last municipality to be targeted, underscoring their commitment to reaching even the most remote areas to clear communities of illegal drugs.
In a related development, teams from PRO-10 arrested 20 additional suspects and confiscated illegal drugs valued at PHP1.4 million between September 13 and 14. During this period, a total of 19 operations were carried out as part of PRO-10’s intensified anti-drug campaign, resulting in the seizure of approximately 207.345 grams of “shabu.”