BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Policemen seized more than P3 million worth of suspected shabu and assorted guns in separate buy-bust operations in highly-urbanized Bacolod City and three other cities of Negros Occidental on April 30 and May 1, respectively.
Two successful buy-bust operations in Bacolod City yielded P3 million worth of suspected shabu and the arrest of four drug suspects.
The buy-bust operation of the City Drug Enforcement Unit at Purok Lampirong in Brgy. 2, Bacolod City, yielded about P1.7 million worth of suspected shabu on May 1.
PCol. Joseph Thomas Martir, director of the Bacolod City Police Office, disclosed that the buy-bust operation led to the arrest of a drug suspect identified as Christian Oliveros, alias Nonoy.
Seized from the arrested suspects were an estimated 250 grams of suspected shabu with a market value of P1.7 million, marked money of P1,000 and P300 in cash.
A day earlier, the apprehension of three drug suspects in another buy-bust operation at Purok Kahirup in Brgy Singcang-Airport, Bacolod City, also led the seizure of another 200 grams of suspected shabu with a market value of P1.36 million.
PLt. Liberty Indiape, BCPO deputy spokesperson, identified the arrested suspects as Baby Girl Villarna, 33, of Brgy Banago, Bacolod City; Elmar Gallego, 33 and Edmar Infante, 26, both of Silay City, Negros Occidental.
Aside from seized illegal drugs, the police also recovered P500 in marked money, a caliber .22 revolver with three live ammunition that was taken from Infante by the arresting police personnel of Police Station.
On April 30, the implementation of a search warrant issued by Judge Leonardo Pacultad Jr. in Sitio Polo, Brgy. 19, Victorias City, Negros Occidental, led to the apprehension of Bernel Belicano and the confiscation by the police of an estimated three grams of suspected shabu with a market value of P20,400, as well as recovery of a caliber .38 revolver with two live ammunition and two bladed weapons.
The buy-bust operation in Brgy. 2, La Carlota City, also led to the arrest of two drug suspects identified by the police as Jade Ramirez, 21, and Jelyn Baylon, 20, both residents of the city.
An estimated eight grams of suspected shabu with a market value of P54,400 and its paraphernalia, P500 in marked money and a cellular phone were recovered by the police from the two apprehended suspects.
On the other hand, the April 30 apprehension of Argie Cantomayor by virtue of an arrest warrant issued by Kabankalan Regional Trial Court Assisting Judge Rosario Ester Orda-Caise, at Purok Gaston in Brgy. Bantayan,Kabankalan City, for the crime of murder, also resulted in the confiscation of a .357 caliber revolver with five ammunition.
Cantomayor, 27, was denied bail by the court.*
