PDEA-BARMM says a suspected drug den operator linked to killings dies in a Cotabato entrapment operation after allegedly resisting arrest. (Contributed Photo)
COTABATO CITY, Philippines โ A suspected drug den operator linked to a series of killings was fatally shot after allegedly resisting arrest during an anti-drug entrapment operation in Cotabato province.
Agents from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-BARMM), together with police operatives, were about to arrest Masrullah Guialudin and four alleged accomplices after buying around 20 grams of shabu from them in Barangay Nabalawag in Malidegao town on Thursday, March 12.
According to PDEA-BARMM regional director Edgar Jubay, Guialudin allegedly resisted arrest and pulled out a pistol, triggering a brief gunfight that led to his death.
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Authorities arrested his four companions, who are now under the custody of PDEA-BARMM and will face charges for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Local officials and traditional Moro leaders who supported the operation said Guialudin was believed to be behind large-scale distribution of shabu in Malidegao and nearby municipalities in the Bangsamoro Special Geographic Area (SGA). The SGA consists of eight towns under BARMM but geographically located within Cotabato Province in Region 12.
Officials also linked Guialudin to a string of gun attacks from late 2022 to early 2025 that left at least nine villagers dead. The victims were suspected of helping authorities monitor his alleged drug trafficking activities.
Jubay said Thursdayโs operation was carried out with support from the 40th Infantry Battalion of the 602nd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army, as well as police units from the Police Regional OfficeโBangsamoro Autonomous Region, led by Brigadier General Jaysen De Guzman. โ dailysunchronicle.com
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