SIXTEEN suspected drug personalities including a brother of a former mayor in Zamboanga del Sur, a former fireman and two notorious Pasay City drug traffickers were arrested in a spate of anti-narcotics operations conducted by agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Philippine National Police this week, PDEA chair Undersecretary Jose S. Gutierrez Jr. announced yesterday.

Gutierrez said the drug busts resulted in the seizure of nearly P1.3 million worth of shabu, assorted drug paraphernalia and several high-powered guns and ammunition.

The suspects have been charged with violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Tong Abdulkarim, 43, a brother of an ex-Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur mayor and uncle of the incumbent Labangan mayor was arrested along with his cousin Udzag Lamalam, 44, and wife Fatima, 40, in front of the Gallo Eatery in Poblacion Ipil Proper, Zamboanga Sibugay last Tuesday.

Members of the PDEA Regional Office 9 headed by Director Adzhar Albani recovered 100 grams of shabu worth P500,000 from the suspects who were all residents of Labangan. He said that the suspects are members of the notorious Nandang-Afdal Drug Group operating in Zamboanga peninsula.

Lamalam and his wife were found plying their illicit activities with their children in tow. A black Toyota Hi-lux (KDK-390) used by the couple to deliver drugs was impounded by the PDEA.

Last Monday, PDEA Region 2 agents led by Director Juvenal Azurin arrested Joselito Lim shortly after he sold P1,000 worth of shabu to an officer along the Pengue-Ruyu Highway in Tuguegarao City.

Later in the afternoon, PDEA Region 11 operatives led by Director Emerson Rosales arrested Ernesto Sanchez and Jose Dinampo while they were conspiring to sell a packet of shabu to a poseur along the national highway in Panabo City, Davao del Norte.

In Surigao del Sur, local PDEA and police operatives raided a suspected drug den at Purok 2, Poblacion, Barobo Municipality where they arrested Ali Abli and Nayda Sultan, Amron Emam, Saad Umarompong and Al-ad Daud.

The raid conducted on the strength of a search warrant issued by Judge Ricardo Mosquera of the Barobo Municipal Circuit Trial Court led in the confiscation of 10 plastic sachets containing nearly 18 grams of shabu worth P100,000, a 9mm semi-automatic pistol with a loaded magazine, a KG9 machine pistol equipped with a silencer, P28,000 in various denominations and assorted drug paraphernalia.

Ali Sultan and his cohorts were charged for violation of Section 6 of RA 9165 which refers to the maintenance of a drug den, Section 11 for possession of dangerous drugs and Section 12 for the possession of equipment, instrument, apparatus and other paraphernalia for dangerous drugs. They are presently detained at Surigao del Sur Provincial Police Office.

Last Wednesday, the Metro Manila Regional Office headed by Director Wilkins Vllanueva and the Pasay City police headed by C/Insp. Raymund Liguden arrested Ernesto Pacliwagan alias ‘Erning Tanda,’ 62, and his partner Yolanda Paloyo, 47, in a sting in Cuyegkeng St., Bgy. 1, Zone 1 in Pasay City.

Ten plastic sachets containing nearly 47 grams of shabu were seized from the suspects along with the boodle money topped by two pieces of marked P500 bills.

Also last Wednesday, suspect Jupiter Eduardo alias ‘Boy Kape’ was arrested in a raid in Purok San Francisco, Bgy. Langla in Jaen, Nueva Ecija conducted by PDEA Region 3 officers headed by Director Ronald Allan Ricardo.

Another sting in Iriga City led to the arrest of Paterno Llorente, a former member of the Bureau of Fire Protection. Llorente was arrested while in the act of selling four sachets of shabu to an agent of the PDEA Region 5 and the Iriga City Police Station.

“We are profoundly grateful for the cooperation and support extended by our counterparts from the PNP and other law enforcement agencies in attaining our mission and vision for a drug free community.” Gutierrez said.