• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Policemen confiscated P9.6 million worth of suspected shabu from seven drug suspects, who were arrested separately in Bacolod City over the weekend.
The first buy bust operation occurred at about 9:30 p.m. on October 13 at Purok Hollowblocks in Barangay Singcang Airport in Bacolod City, conducted by the BCPO Police Station 8 and assisted by the City Drug Enforcement Unit, that led to the confiscation of about half a kilo of suspected shabu with a market value of P3.4 million.
The arrested suspect, identified only as alias ‘Biboy,’ 37, of Capitol Heights Subdivision in Brgy. Villamonte, Bacolod City, was tagged by the police as a High Value Individual drug personality.
Another buy bust operation at about 1 a.m. of Oct. 14 in Purok Rose, Brgy. 9, Bacolod City, where two more drug suspects, including a 60-year-old woman and pedicab driver, were arrested by the Police Station 2 operatives, assisted by CDEU personnel.
Nabbed, were a certain Beth and Pet, who were also categorized by the police as High Value Individual drug personalities.
The police also seized an additional half kilo of suspected shabu, with a market value of P3.4 million.
Early Sunday morning, CDEU operatives arrested alias ‘Nana’ in Purok Himaya, Barangay Mansilingan after he sold P1,000 worth of the prohibited substance to an undercover policeman.
He yielded about 55 grams of shabu valued at P374,000.
On Saturday night, 65, alias ‘Mariloe’ was collared by CDEU personnel during a buy-bust in Sitio Sibucao, Barangay Banago.
Found in the suspect’s possession were 90 grams of shabu worth P612,000.
The Regional Special Enforcement Team of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Western Visayas (PDEA-6) likewise arrested on Oct. 14 the region’s top drug suspect and his wife, after they yielded P1.87 million worth of shabu in Barangay 14, Bacolod City.
Through a search warrant, the PDEA agents entered the residence of alias ‘Jake’ and alias ‘Rona,’ both 34, and recovered 275 grams of shabu.
In a statement, PBrig. Gen. Jack Wanky, regional police director of Western Visayas, lauded the accomplishments of BCPO under the leadership of PCol. Joeresty Coronica, who further intensified their anti-illegal drugs campaign to prevent the proliferation of illegal drugs during the ongoing MassKara festivities.
Coronica, police city director, in an interview said the significant accomplishments, which were the results of a strengthened intelligence operation, would lead to the reduction of illegal drug supply during the festival set from Oct. 12 to 27.
“We are able to reduce the supply of illegal drugs that are supposed to proliferate during the MassKara Festival. We expected the supply to arrive, that’s why in the past weeks, our police operatives have been doubling their efforts to prevent these illegal drugs from reaching the streets,” he added.
Each gram of shabu costs P6,800, based on the prevailing street price, according to the BCPO.
OTHER ARRESTS
The apprehension of a suspected drug peddler on Sunday at Zone 5 in Barangay Mambulac, Silay City, Negros Occidental, yielded 14 grams of suspected shabu with market value of P95,200.
Two other drug suspects were nabbed by the police at Zone 4 in Barangay Concepcion, Talisay City, Negros Occidental, which yielded suspected dried marijuana leaves and shabu, with a total market value of P8,000.* with PNA reports