Two siblings accused of selling shabu were arrested in Cotabato City on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, and are being held at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao detention facility. (PDEA/John Unson Photo)
COTABATO CITY, Philippines โ Anti-narcotics agents seized half a kilogram of suspected shabu valued at 3.4 million pesos ($59,000) and arrested two brothers during an entrapment operation in Barangay Poblacion 6 on Monday, authorities said.
The suspects, Kaharudin Taya, 27, and his brother Yasser Taya, 26, were taken into custody by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-BARMM) and face prosecution in court, city and barangay officials announced Tuesday.
The operation highlights intensified efforts by law enforcement and local officials to curb illegal drug trafficking in Cotabato City through coordinated operations involving barangay leaders, traditional Moro leaders and police, as authorities seek to dismantle distribution networks and strengthen prosecutions under the country’s anti-drug law.
PDEA-BARMM Director Edgar Jubay said undercover agents and officers from the Cotabato City Police Office, under Col. Jibin Bongcayao, detained the brothers immediately after purchasing the illegal drugs, locally known as shabu, from them.
In addition to the drugs, law enforcement agents impounded a green multicab utility vehicle that the suspects allegedly used for drug distribution across various barangays in Cotabato City, as well as nearby Sultan Kudarat and Datu Odin Sinsuat towns in Maguindanao del Norte province.
Investigators said the operation was launched following tips from confidential informants, who reported the brothers’ activities to local barangay leaders and the office of Cotabato City Mayor Bruce Matabalao.
Matabalao, chairperson of the Cotabato City Peace and Order Council, pledged full support to PDEA-BARMM prosecutors to ensure the suspects are tried under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
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