Two arrested for illegal drugs

CEBU, Philippines - Several packs of shabu worth P100,000, a revolver and notebooks with remittances were confiscated from an alleged drug pusher in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Bairan, Naga City early morning yesterday.

Joel Zamoro, 41, who is residing in Barangay Langtad, Naga City but a native of Mindanao, was arrested by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-7 at his shanty around 1:00 a.m.

Zamoro was immediately arrested right after he handed a medium pack of shabu in exchange for the P2,000 from a poseur-buyer.

Recovered from him were 16 other medium packs and one large pack of shabu, a .38 revolver with four bullets, a weighing scale and notebooks with lists of remittances.

Intelligence Officer 1 Nicolas Gomez said Zamoro was under surveillance for a month before his arrest yesterday. Zamoro had been transferring from one place to another in allegedly selling shabu.

Just as the poseur-buyer handed the cash to Zamoro, a hand signal was made signalling that the transaction was completed. Zamoro was then arrested.

The PDEA-7 tagged Zamoro as a level two drug pusher with the entire city as his disposal area.

“Dugay na ni nga moduwa pero karon lang ni dakpi sa Cebu,” Gomez said. (He has been doing this illegal trade for a long time and now we finally caught him.)

Zamoro reportedly has a pending case in Mindanao but the police have yet to confirm this.

In a separate interview, Zamoro admitted to the crime, saying it is his means of living.

“Mao naman gyud ni, tinuyuan man,” Zamoro said. (This is it. There’s nothing I can do now.)

Zamoro is now detained at the PDEA-7 stockade pending charges for Sections 5 and 11 or RA 9165 or possession of illegal drugs and illegal possession of firearms.

Meanwhile, police arrested an alleged drug pusher in a buy-bust operation in Sitio Mahayahay, Barangay Calamba Wednesday afternoon.

Eryl Bontilao, 23, yielded six packs of suspected shabu during the operation conducted by the City Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Group (CAIDSOTG).

CAIDSOTG chief, Chief Insp. Renero Agustin, led the operation at 2:30 p.m. last Wednesday outside Bontilao’s house.

The police “transacted” with Bontilao, buying a pack of shabu worth P200, to confirm the report against him. As soon as the police decoy received the plastic pack of the suspected substance, police arrested him.

Five more packs of shabu and alleged transaction money amounting to P2,654 were recovered from him. The suspect is now detained at the Cebu City Police Office detention cell while police prepare charges for selling and possession of illegal drugs against him.     - THE FREEMAN