P6.8 million shabu seized from Maute suspects

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Three persons arrested for possession of shabu with an estimated street value of P6.8 million are under tight watch due to their reported links with the Maute group.

Samsudin Camid and Ronnie and Raisuli, both surnamed Marohom, are being held at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency office in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. They were collared in a drug sting in Parang, Maguindanao on Thursday. 

The slain founders of the Maute group, siblings Omarkhayam and Abdullah Maute, allegedly funded their criminal activities with money collected from the illegal drug trade. 

President Duterte said drug money fueled the operation of Maute militants in Marawi last year.

The arrest of the Maute suspects followed the raid on the house of former mayor Montasir Sabal of Upi town in Barangay Blensong.

Police officers led by Chief Inspector Erwin Tabora recovered shabu, various types of ammunition and a grenade projectile.

Sabal has been hiding since 2016 after anti-narcotics agents, who raided his house  found sachets of shabu, machine guns, rifles and mortar launchers.

3 slain in drug stings

Meanwhile, three alleged drug pushers were slain in drug busts in Laguna and Bulacan on Friday.

Darille Tabula and Johnrick Antoniano, both on the drug watchlist, engaged anti-narcotics agents in a shootout in  Barangay Langkiwa, Biñan at around 10 p.m., Superintendent Ronan Claravall, city police chief, said.

Claravall said the fatalities were members of the Buddha gang tagged in contract killings, robberies and illegal drugs.

Two caliber .38 revolvers, four sachets of shabu, a cell phone and P1,000 in marked money were reportedly recovered from the fatalities.

In Bulacan, an alias Talahib allegedly fired at law enforcers in Barangay Bancal, Meycauayan.

Senior Superintendent Chito Bersaluna, acting Bulacan police director, said the fatality yielded a caliber .22 revolver, four sachets of shabu and marked money. – Ed Amoroso, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Emmanuel Tupas