Arrested were Lanao del Sur Provincial Board member Hussien Magandia and his son-in-law Marawi City councilor Amienquialed Dimal, for possessing P3.4-million worth of illegal drugs inside their residence at Wildflower Street, Purok Mabuhay, Sitio Bucayo, Barangay Tubod, Iligan City, at around 5:30 this morning.
Also arrested were Magandia's wife Norhainah Magandia, their son Aktar Magandia, alias Bigboy, former barangay captain of Maguin Proper, Maguing, Lanao del Sur.
Norhaimah is the first cousin of Johaira "Marimar" Macabuat, the former mayor of Maguing town in Lanao del Sur and suspected "drug queen" who was on PDEA-10's watch list.
PDEA 10 Director Wilkins Villanueva together with PDEA operatives from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), conducted "Coplan Iwaram" in accordance with the search warrant number 2018-09-1785 issued by Executive Judge from RTC Branch 16 in Kabacan, North Cotabato.
The suspects were caught in possession of the following: 1 ziplock large transparent plastic sachet containing suspected shabu weighing more or less 500 grams worth 3.4 million pesos; 1 pc. cal. 357 revolver; assorted drug paraphernalia, and assorted financial documents.
"So far, they are the biggest narco-politicians [we have] arrested," said PDEA-ARMM Regional Director Juvenal Azurin during the press conference at the PDEA-10 regional office following the suspects' arrest.
Azurin said the arrested elected officials were not on President Rodrigo Duterte's original drug matrix, adding that it took PDEA about a year to verify the suspects' involvement in the illegal drug trade.
"We were very careful in conducting the validation considering the fact that these personalities are prominent," Azurin said.
The PDEA official said they spent several months conducting validation, surveillance and intelligence gathering before carrying out the search operation.
Azurin said the illegal substance that was confiscated from the suspects came from the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.
The PDEA official did not name the person responsible for supplying the illegal drugs to the suspects, but he said that the supplier is a high-level inmate.
From Bilibid, the illegal drugs were then brought by land to Lanao del Sur, he added.
Villanueva said, "The illegal drugs were found inside the couple's room when the search was conducted."
According to Villanueva, "Norhainah and surrendered "drug queen" Lovely Adam Impal or 'Marimar' are cousins.
The suspects got a sermon from Mayor Celso G. Regencia
Norhainah took over Marimar in the distribution of drugs from Maguindanao to Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, including Iligan City, when the later was arrested.
On December 6, 2016, Impal surrendered to then PNP Chief Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa.
The Magandia's and Dimal are now detained at PDEA X office, while the law enforcers are preparing the charges against them.
Villanueva said, "Hussein is one of the members of IWARAM DRUG GROUP operating in areas of Marawi, Lanao del Sur, and Lanao del Norte.
From these provinces, they distributed the illegal substance to a network of runners and pushers, who sell the meth to other areas in Mindanao, Azurin added.
The suspects also have a few legitimate businesses based in Iligan City - a carwash, rice mill, and a rice trading - which they use as fronts to hide their illegal drug activities, the PDEA official said.
Azurin said PDEA will also be looking into the notebooks and bank documents seized from the suspects and use these in the investigation. [EZC, Newsline.ph and Divina Suson & Jigger Jerusalem, PNA]
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