Cotabato City—After several days of surveillance, anti-narcotics operatives arrested on Thursday two suspected big-time drug peddlers in Marawi City and seized some P6.8 million worth of illegal drugs.
Director Juvenal Azurin of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao identified the suspects as Alexander Aliponto, 45, of Tamparan, Lanao del Sur, and Adam Pandiin, 42, a resident of Marawi City.
Azurin said the suspects were immediately handcuffed after one of them handed over an estimated one kilogram of suspected shabu to a poseur-buyer carrying a paper bag with P2.2 million worth of “boodle money.”
“Boodle money” consists of a few original Philippine paper bills and bundles of photocopied money bills.
Azurin said the drug buy-bust transpired along Amai Pakpak Avenue in Barangay Poblacion, Marawi City at 3:30 p.m.
“They were our high-value targets. We have been tailing them for several days already,” Azurin told reporters in a phone interview Friday.
He said the suspects tried to back off after sensing they were dealing with a poseur buyer but were immediately handcuffed by PDEA agents.
Soldiers and police officers who stayed a few meters away from the deal site quickly surrounded the duo.
Marawi City Mayor Majul Gandamra, together with other local officials, came to the scene and lauded the successful operation.
Teams from the local police and Army’s 103rd Army Brigade backed the PDEA operatives during the conduct of the operation. PNA