Five nabbed for illegal drugs in Danao City

CEBU, Philippines - Five more men were arrested and 75 grams of suspected shabu were seized in another anti-drug operation last Thursday night in Barangay Poblacion, Danao City.

Operatives of the Regional Anti-Illegal Drug Special Operations Group (RAIDSOTG) 7 swooped down on Reyan Mansueto, reportedly a level two drug pusher; Jestoni Ramos, Noel Cal, Jeffrey Ramos, and Virgilio Dagatan.

Senior Insp. Henrix Bancoleta, RAIDSOTG-7 team leader, said the 75 grams of shabu they seized from the suspects had a street value of P400,000.

According to Bancoleta, Mansueto was the subject of their operation and sells the drugs while Ramos served as the gun runner. The three other suspects were caught having a pot session inside Mansueto’s apartment on Olaivar Street.

Bancoleta said Mansueto was arrested after handing over a pack of shabu to a poseur buyer in exchange for P1,000 during the buy-bust operation at 6 pm.

Mansueto, who underwent surveillance for a month, tried to escape but was reportedly trapped inside the apartment where the other suspects were caught.

Inside the apartment, RAIDSOTG operatives confiscated three big packs, two medium packs, and two smaller packs of suspected shabu and P2,300 cash believed to be proceeds of Mansueto’s illegal drug peddling.

A caliber .38 revolver loaded with four live ammunition was also recovered from Jestoni Ramos.

Bancoleta said this is the first time Mansueto was arrested for drug peddling. Last Thursday’s operation stemmed from a tip they received from an informant.

During the month-long surveillance, police discovered the suspect’s strategy in selling the drugs.

The RAIDSOTG officer said Mansueto would hand over the shabu to the buyer through a sliding window that had a one-way mirror. That way, the persons outside could not see the persons behind the window.

Bancoleta said that during tactical interrogation, Mansueto denied any involvement in drug selling but Cal, Dagatan and Jeffrey Ramos disclosed that he was the one who sold them drugs.

Just this week, operatives of the City Intelligence Branch of the Cebu City Police Office arrested three people in Barangay Ermita who were seized with P250,000 worth of shabu. The same amount of shabu was seized from a level two drug pusher in Barangay Tisa who was arrested by agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 7 last Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a woman lost about P360,000 worth of valuables to three burglars who broke into her house Thursday afternoon while she was out to fetch her child in school in Barangay Poblacion, Oslob.

The disarray of things inside the house prompted Brigiede Marie Gumapon, 28, to immediately run to her bedroom and check her valuables. There, she discovered that her jewelry pieces were missing.

Among the items lost were five pieces of class rings, a necklace with choker, two pieces of bracelets, bangles, Tag Huer watch, a necklace with a leaf pendant, three pairs of earrings, Canon digital camera, choker necklace with three hearts, gold chain bracelet, Japanese gold ring, white gold ring with diamond, Seiko two-tone watch, a pair of lady portrait earrings, ring and a pair of centipede-style earrings all amounting to P357,000.

Insp. Christopher Castro, Oslob police chief, said a witness saw a woman and two male companions hurriedly leaving Gumapon’s house a few minutes after the victim left.

The still burglars destroyed the lock of the main door to gain entrance and went directly to the victim’s bedroom where the valuables were placed.

“Tigib ang gigamit sa mga kawatan kay hasta semento giapil og tiltil man gyud kay guba man ang kilid sa doorknob. (The burglars used a chisel destroying the concrete and a portion of the doorknob),” Castro said in a phone interview.

Castro suspected that the contact of the burglars knows the victim while those who entered the house are not from Oslob.

He added that they now have the identities of the burglars but refused to disclose it pending investigation.

Meanwhile, a school teacher lost almost P150,000 worth of valuables and cash three days ago to two unidentified burglars inside her apartment in Barangay Sudlonon, Bogo City.

Analyn Suson, 32, just left her apartment at past 3:30p.m. to fetch her eight-year-old daughter at the nearby school. When she returned home, the door was already open.

Among the articles stolen were two pieces iPod worth P45,000; a camera worth P5,000; a BlackBerry mobile phone worth P10,000; a laptop worth P20,000; three pieces gold necklace with pendant worth P20,000; one Chinese gold men’s bracelet worth P 50, 000; a ladies’ ring with diamond worth P5, 000; and cash worth P2,500.

The burglars entered the house by destroying the padlock and the doorknob of the main door. Once inside, they entered Suson’s room carted away the valuables.   (FREEMAN)