Armed drug group arrested in North Cotabato

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 14): Armed drug group arrested in North Cotabato

State forces arrested on Thursday 13 heavily armed men in remote Barangay Nabalawag, Midsayap, North Cotabato.

Acting on a tip by concerned citizens, members of the Midsayap police led by P/Supt. Jerson Birrey and Army personnel from the 34th Infantry Battalion, swooped down Nabalawag village around 4p.m. and cornered the armed band that opted to voluntarily surrender.

Confiscated from the group’s possession were 2 M79 grenade launchers with two live ammunition; one .357 caliber pistol; one 50 caliber submachine gun; one .20 gauge homemade pistol; one homemade 5.56 caliber pistol; 2 M16 rifles; one 12-gauge shotgun; one M-14 rifle; one Garand rifle; and one .45 - caliber pistol.

Also seized from the group by authorities were three heat sealed sachets of the banned shabu substance and drug paraphernalia.

Initial investigation revealed that the group, believed to be remnants of large-scale drug dealer Mokz Masgal, was trying to escape the force of the government’s anti-narcotics campaign in the area when trapped in Nabalawan.

Only last week, authorities working side-by-side with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) volunteers arrested 42 other members of Masgal, also known as Commander Madrox, in the interiors of Midsayap town.

Amid the series of arrests though, drug ringleader Masgal remains at-large.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=931157