Five drug suspects fall

Police arrested five persons suspected to be involved in the drug trade in different parts of the city.

The Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Branch conducted a raid in sitio Lawis, barangay Pasil yesterday dawn and arrested Jessie Dimasilan and Cheryl Rocamora, recovering 20 packs of suspected shabu.

The team was armed with a warrant issued by judge Meinrado Paredes and carried out the raid about 4:30 a.m. yesterday.

Three others were arrested in operations by the Vice Control Section Friday afternoon and yesterday noon.

First to fall at about 5 p.m. last Friday was Josephine Ledesma of M. Villa Concepcion St., barangay Suba, who was found with P300 worth of shabu.

Ledesma said she just bought the drugs originally valued at P250 from pushers in the interior portion of the barangay to supplement her daily income as she only sells snacks.

Yesterday noon Insp. George Ylanan's team arrested a ship mess hall attendant at Pier 5 and a cargo forwarder for allegedly selling shabu worth P22,000.

Ronald Rosalejos and a certain "Baby" Mendoza were arrested after handing drugs to two policemen who were posing as customers inside a taxicab.

Ylanan said they got a tip about a ship crewman who reportedly brings shabu from Ozamiz City to Cebu. Thus yesterday morning they ordered two big packs of shabu from Rosalejos by text and agreed that this be delivered outside Pier 5 with the buyers waiting inside a taxicab.

When Rosalejos saw the taxicab he did not leave the gate but asked Mendoza to hand the envelope containing shabu to the policemen who then arrested them.

Mendoza claimed he did not know the envelope contained shabu and was surprised when he was arrested. He said he will testify against Rosalejos.

Rosalejos claimed it was only his second time to bring in shabu from Ozamiz City, his drugs there reportedly come from a certain "Jojo".

He also admitted he had five big packs of shabu but the three were already delivered before the police arrived.

Last Wednesday judge Fortunato de Gracia acquitted Juan Velez and Eugene Yu Alegre from a drug case for alleged possession of a kilo of shabu that was filed by Ylanan.

De Gracia was not convinced that the seized shabu was in plain view citing the police forcible entry that broke the lock of the door of Alegre's rented room in an uptown pension house. - Ryan P. Borinaga