BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN / ADRIAN P. NEMES III
Operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency seized about P2.7 million worth of suspected shabu during a buy-bust operation in Purok Lacson, Brgy. Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental on May 4.
The operation, that was a joint effort of the PDEA Regional Special Enforcement Team and the Murcia police, led to the arrest of Justine Ledesma, 18, and Reylan Artus, 31, who were temporarily staying in the place.
However, the subject of the anti-drug operation, identified as Andrew Ledesma, owner of the ABL and Sons farm, managed to escape, the Murcia Police Station reported.
The operation yielded about 400 grams of suspected shabu, and P12,500 in buy-bust money.
The two arrested suspects are now detained at the Murcia police custodial facility.
IN BACOLOD, TOO
In Bacolod City, Station 7 operatives arrested a woman in a drug buy-bust operation about noon yesterday in Brgy. Mansilingan, and seized from her 12 grams of suspected shabu, valued at P81,600.
P/Lt Liberty Indiape, Bacolod City Police spokesperson, identified the suspect as Maricel Mendoza of Purok Kabugwason in the barangay.
The team, led by P/Capt. Elmer Bonilla, seized eight heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets of suspected shabu, and P900 in cash from Mendoza, who was arrested after handing a sachet of “shabu” to a police poseur buyer, in exchange for P500.
Station 1 policemen also arrested Memosa Orolan, 34, of Purok Magtiayon in Brgy. 10, Bacolod, past 11 a.m. yesterday. Five sachets of suspected shabu, weighing 0.5 gram and worth P3,400, were recovered from Orolan, the police said.*