2 fall in buy-bust

CEBU, Philippines - Two suspected drug pushers were arrested by the operatives of the Provincial Intelligence Branch in separate buy-bust operations last Monday.

The suspects were identified as Lemuel “Lolol” Tapayan, 30, of Barangay Looc, Danao City and Tomas Borbon Ardiente, 25, of Barangay Pulang Bato, Cebu City.

Tapayan was arrested by PIB operatives in Barangay Taytay, Danao City at around 11:00 p.m. while Ardiente was arrested few hours earlier in Sitio Dita, Barangay Pulang Bato in Cebu City.

An undercover operative bought a small pack of shabu from Tapayan worth P300 resulting in his arrest. Six more medium packs and one large pack of shabu worth P8,000 were also seized from him following his arrest.

The police also recovered a Caliber .9mm pistol with two magazines and six bullets in Tapayan’s motorcycle. In an earlier operation which resulted in the arrest of Ardiente, P100,000 worth of shabu was seized by the police during the buy-bust.

The police bought P25,000 worth of shabu from Ardiente. The transaction was made outside his residence.

SPO1 Francis Allen Villamor who led the PIB operatives said that Tapayan had been under surveillance for three weeks. He is allegedly capable of  disposing 25 to 100 grams of shabu worth P500,000 weekly.

Tapayan is reportedly operating in the towns of Liloan, Borbon, and Compostela as well as in the cities of Mandaue and Cebu.

He was arrested by the Danao City police in 2003 for illegal drugs but was released in 2011 after his case was dismissed.

Tapayan’s live-in partner was also arrested by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-7 in 2011.

Tapayan will be facing another complaint for violation of Sections 5 and 11 of the Republic Act 9165 or Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.— (FREEMAN)