TWO individuals, including a Korean, were arrested and over P20 million worth of shabu and ketamine were seized in separate operations in Pasay City and Marawi City last Sunday.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said the Korean, identified only as alias Han, 39; was nabbed at the departure area of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City during an interdiction operation at around 6:20 p.m.
The suspect was set to board a flight to Cebu when he was apprehended by personnel from the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group, which is composed of PDEA and other agencies.
During the “final screening,” authorities found inside the Korean’s bag a foil-wrapped transparent plastic sachet containing 1.43 kilos of ketamine worth P7.15 million, alongside bundles of toiletries, banana chips and dried mangoes.
Also seized from him were a passport, a boarding pass, a mobile phone, and several bank cards.
Also last Sunday, PDEA, PNP and Army personnel arrested a drug dealer during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Bangolo Poblacion in Marawi City.
The suspect, alias Orak, 21, yielded two kilos of shabu worth P13.6 million, said PDEA.
Also seized from Orak were the buy-bust money, drug paraphernalia, a mobile phone, identification cards, and a motorcycle.
“This successful operation exemplifies the strength of inter-agency collaboration and the unwavering commitment of PDEA to rid the Bangsamoro region of illegal drugs,” said Gil Cesario Castro, director of PDEA-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
