PDEA nabs two pushing shabu in Remote Cotabato Tribal Island

Published on August 4, 2025 | By Jedidiah Joy D. Balingit

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents arrested two suspects caught actively selling shabu in one of Cotabato’s isolated tribal islands, where they had silently penetrated indigenous communities, exploiting their remoteness to conduct an illegal drug trade that evaded detection for months.

The suspects were caught in a buy-bust operation after agents disguised themselves as fishermen and coordinated with local tribal leaders to track the duo’s movements, uncovering plastic sachets of crystal meth hidden in woven baskets meant for dried fish.

Investigators revealed that the suspects had ties with a wider network operating across Mindanao’s coastal areas, using motorized boats to ferry drugs into communities with little law enforcement presence, putting entire tribes at risk of addiction and exploitation.

Authorities also found evidence of planned expansion into other secluded territories, prompting the PDEA to launch a sustained crackdown that now includes maritime patrols and community watch programs embedded in tribal governance.