5 nabbed in Cotabato drug bust

COTABATO CITY – Antinarcotics operatives arrested five persons allegedly engaged in illegal drug use and peddling during a law enforcement operation in Barangay Rosary Heights 13, Cotabato City Wednesday.

The operation, led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-BARMM, resulted in the arrest of five persons inside a suspected drug den around 4 p.m. in the barangay.

PDEA-BARMM Director Juvenal Azurin identified the arrested principal suspect as 46-year-old Lovella Fernandez Dela Cruz alias Ella, the alleged drug den maintainer.

Also nabbed were her alleged cohorts identified as Sheena Fernandez Dela Cruz, 34; Exel Fernandez Dela Cruz alias Ambok, 18; Jonathan Paraba Dela Cruz, 23; and Jay-Ar Rivera Larinton alias Jayjay, 22.

“The operation was launched after receiving information from residents about the existence of a drug den and regular pot session among drug den clients in the area,” Azurin said in a statement.

Confiscated during the operation were 11 sachets of suspected shabu, weighing scale, mobile phones, and drug money, he said.

The suspects are now in PDEA-BARMM custody while charges for violation of RA 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002) are being prepared against them.