CEBU, Philippines - Two suspected drug pushers were arrested by operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-7 in a buy bust operation Sunday afternoon in Barangay Matab-ang, Toledo City.
Two small packets and two large packs of shabu were among the pieces of evidence confiscated from the possession of Virginia Jareño, 62 and her nephew, Cyril Sanchez, 39.
Jareño is the mother of Jay “Dean” Jareño who was arrested by PDEA-7 operatives in similar operations in July 23 last year. She reportedly served as successor of her son’s drug operations.
Sanchez is also in PDEA-7’s watch list.
The arrest of the suspects came after the complaint of a concerned citizen who disclosed the illegal drug trade of the duo.
A team of operatives headed by IO2 Jelou Anthony Paca conducted the buy-bust operation at 5:00 in the afternoon outside Jareño’s house which also allegedly serves as their disposal area.
The agent poseur-buyer, through the aid of a confidential informant, successfully transacted for two small packets of shabu with Jareño in exchange for the P500 marked money.
Operatives then rushed to the scene when the pre-arranged signal was made leading to the suspects’ arrest.
“Nakadagan pa gyud to ang usa ka babaye wala na namo maabti, (One woman was able to run away and we weren’t able to catch up with her.)” Paca said in a phone interview.
A blue green pouch containing two large pack of shabu worth P50,000 was also recovered near Jareño.
Illegal drugs recovered were submitted to the PNP Crime Laboratory-7 in Camp Sotero Cabahug for chemical analysis.
Another PDEA agent also recovered one cellular phone with battery and a damaged SIM card.
Jareño was tagged as a level one drug pusher who could dispose of less than P200,000 worth of shabu in a week.
She was also capable of disposing illegal drugs to neighboring towns through her drug couriers.
The suspects are now detained at the PDEA-7 stockade pending charges for Section 5 and 11 of RA 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. — (FREEMAN)