2 persons nabbed for drugs

CEBU, Philippines - Two persons, one of them an alleged drug lord, were arrested in separate buy-bust operations conducted by the operatives of the Provincial Intelligence Branch in Cebu City and in Carmen town last Wednesday.

In Sitio Mahayahay, A. Lopez St., Barangay Labangon, Cebu City, the operatives were trying to arrest Florinda Paras around 4 a.m.

The operatives said they were in the area when they saw Florinda. The poseur-buyer then handed her P500 in marked money in exchange for a small sachet of shabu.

But just as the transaction was completed, Florinda noticed it was a trap and made a run for it together with a certain “Mino”. Police were only able to arrest Florinda’s sister, Marycris Paras, 21, from Sitio San Vicente, Barangay Yati, Liloan town.

Recovered from Marycris was a medium pack of shabu worth P6,000, 49 ampoules of Nubain, two cellular phones, weighing scales, aluminum foils, disposable lighters and drug repacking paraphernalia.

She is now detained at the Consolacion Police Station stockade.

 Around 4:30 p.m. that same day the operatives arrested Rolando Casas in Sitio Malbago, Barangay Luyang, Carmen town, after he allegedly tried to shoot at them after a buy-bust operation.

Casas, a native of Danao City, was brought to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City after policemen had to shoot him in the right thigh.

Operatives said the buy-bust operation went smoothly, but before they could arrest Casas he went for a .45 cal. pistol tucked into his pants.

The poseur-buyer saw what he was about to do and pushed him to the ground, the other operatives shot at Casas.

Confiscated from him was a large packet of shabu worth P30,000, a .45 cal. pistol with five live rounds and a magazine also with five live rounds.

Police said Casas can dispose of shabu worth up to P350,000 in a week. He was allegedly a criminal associate of James Harold Barbero, who was killed in a shootout with the PIB in Talisay City last January.

Casas’ distribution network allegedly includes the towns of Carmen, Catmon, Compostela, Bogo City and Camotes Island. His source of shabu is reportedly somebody in Muntinlupa City in Luzon.

 All suspects are set to be charged with illegal possession of illegal drugs or Republic Act 9165. –(FREEMAN)