COTABATO CITY, Philippines โ Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) operatives arrested a suspected drug dealer during a Sunday morning sting operation in Isabela City, Basilan, seizing over P6.8 million worth of crystal meth or shabu.
PDEA-Zamboanga Peninsula (PDEA-9) identified the suspect as Ibnoraba Asamli Saddalani, a resident of Barangay Lawe-Lawe in Lantawan town.
The anti-narcotics agens caught Saddalani red-handed during an entrapment operation in Barangay Port Area, where he allegedly sold a kilo of shabu to undercover agents, said PDEA-9 regional director Maharani Gadaoni-Tosoc.
Police personnel from the Isabela City Police Station and units under Police Regional Office-9, led by Brigadier General Roel Rodolfo, provided operational support.
Authorities said Saddalani will face charges for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Local officials from Isabela City and the Basilan provincial government confirmed Saddalani’s identity to reporters shortly after the arrest.
The arrest comes amid growing concerns over the resurgence of the illegal drug trade in Basilan, long considered a key transshipment point in the southern Philippines due to its proximity to major maritime routes and porous coastal areas.
Despite previous crackdowns, authorities say drug syndicates continue to exploit the provinceโs geography and limited law enforcement capacity to move narcotics through the region.
Gadaoni-Tosoc said the PDEA is intensifying surveillance and coordination with local government units to dismantle drug networks operating in Basilan and nearby provinces.
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