By JOEY NACALABAN
Correspondent .
THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency arrested a provincial board member and at least three others during a raid in Iligan City yesterday morning.
Juvenal Azurin, PDEA director for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, identified the suspect as Lanao del Sur provincial board member Hussein Magandia, his wife Norhaina and son Aktar, and former barangay chair Amienquailed Dimal of Maguing, Lanao del Sur.
Authorities said narcotics agents found a large sachet of suspected shabu, weighing 500 grams and with an estimated street value of P3.4 million, during the 5:30 am raid at a house on Wild Flower Street, in Barangay Tubod, Iligan City.
PDEA said the agents also seized a caliber .38 caliber revolver, electronic gadgets, and some documents.
Azurin said the suspects were under PDEA surveilance because they were suspected to be involved in the illegal drug trade.
“Wala sila sa original list ng Presidente (Duterte),” he said.
Azurin accused the provincial board member of being a drug dealer, and “he could also be a protector because of his position in politics.”
Information about the suspects’ alleged drug links were provided by concerned citizens in the community, said Azurin.
He said the raid was carried out after a regional judge in Kabacan, Cotabato issued a warrant to search the Iligan house of the Magandias.
He said PDEA carried out the raid with the help of the police’s Provincial Special Action Force and the Iligan police’s intelligence group.
The suspects were brought to the PDEA headquarters here were they would continue to be detained pending the filing of charges.
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