BY ADRIAN P. NEMES III / GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Nine persons were arrested and sachets of suspected shabu were seized in drug buy-bust operations in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental Wednesday and Thursday.
P/Lt. Liberty Indiape, BCPO spokesperson, said joint operatives of the Bacolod police and the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit arrested James Andrew Estañol, “alias Nonoy”, 34, and Jury Jaype, 36, both residents of Brgy. Singcang-Airport, and considered as street level individuals, in a buy-bust operation past 8 p.m. Wednesday in Purok Torrecampo, Brgy. Alijis in Bacolod.
The two were arrested after they sold two heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets containing white crystalline substance believed to be shabu, in exchange for P40,000, to a police poseur-buyer.
Eighteen more heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets of suspected shabu and a pink Yamaha motorcycle Mio I 125 with an ignition key were recovered from the suspects during their arrest, police records showed.
MM SOURCE OF DRUGS
P/Lt. Glenn Soliman, team leader of RDEU 6, said the illegal drug supply circulating in Bacolod and other parts of Western Visayas came from Metro Manila.
Soliman said the delivery of illegal drugs is done through courier services and cargo vessels.
In Negros Occidental, policemen arrested seven suspects for possession of illegal drugs and a gun Thursday.
Two drug suspects, identified by the police as Cydee Bajande and Michael Detoyato, both 40, were apprehended during a buy-bust operation at Rizal Highway in Brgy. Lantad, Silay City.
Their arrest yielded 22 grams of suspected shabu, with a market value of P149,000, P500 in marked money, and a white Isuzu Crosswind vehicle.
FIREARM SEIZED
The police also intercepted and arrested Ereberto Valenzuela at a checkpoint in Brgy. 5, Silay City, for illegal possession of firearm.
A .45 caliber pistol with three magazines containing 15 ammunition and a Rusi motorcycle were also recovered by the police from Valenzuela, a report of the Silay City police said.
A buy-bust operation in Brgy. Zone 16, Talisay City, resulted in the arrest of Charlie Yorac, and the recovery of 11 sachets of suspected shabu, worth P10,200, P500 in marked money, and P520 in cash, police said.
The apprehension of John Niel Clavero for similar violation in Sitio Paet, Brgy. Batuan, La Carlota City, also on Thursday, yielded a gram of suspected shabu, with a market value of P6,800, P500 in marked money, a celullar phone, and a Kawasaki Aura motorcycle.
Another buy-bust operation in Brgy. 13, Victorias City, resulted in the arrest of Jose Erl Vic Demegello and the recovery of P4,760 worth of suspected shabu, P300 in marked money, and P100 in cash, the police also said. Stanley Onate, who was intercepted for curfew violation, yielded a sachet of “shabu” and drug paraphernalia in Brgy. 6, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, the police added.*
