Two alleged top drug personalities in Iligan City, Lanao del Sur were finally arrested after they yielded suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) worth P68,000 in a buy-bust operation on Thursday, Sept. 29, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said.
PDEA said that Ramil Pepito and Maribel Payusan were collared after several months of surveillance in Purok 13, Barangay Saray, Iligan City after an informant tipped them off of their whereabouts.
After conferring with their informant, the operatives mapped out the buy-bust operation plan that led to the arrest of Pepito and Payusan.
An undercover agent, acting as the buyer, gave the signal to other operatives positioned in strategic areas that the drug transaction was consummated, prompting them to overpower the suspects. A total of 10 grams of suspected shabu were confiscated from them.
The operation was carried out by the PDEA Regional Office-X (RO-X) Lanao del Norte Provincial Office and PDEA RO-X Seaport Interdiction Unit, Iligan City Police Station 5, Iligan City Drug Enforcement Unit and the military.
Pepito and Payusan face charges for violation of Section 5 (sale of dangerous drugs) Article II of Republic Act (RA) 9165 otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.