Four men caught with P1M drugs

CEBU, Philippines - A suspected drug pusher and his three alleged cohorts were arrested by the police in a buy-bust operation that led to the confiscation of close to P1 million worth of shabu past 5 p.m. yesterday in Sitio Baybay I, Barangay Poblacion, Toledo City.

Alejandro “Yanot” Marinay, 44, was arrested after he handed over a small pack of suspected shabu worth P200 to a police poseur-buyer.

Orland Joaquilina, 23; Alex Cajuelan, 41; and Federico Lapay, 44, all believed to be the Marinay’s cohorts, were arrested after the police have seized several packs of shabu from them during the operation.

Toledo City operatives led by Insp. Jovito Labra, deputy chief, conducted the buy-bust operation in Baybay after they heard of Marinay’s alleged illegal activities.

The police placed Marinay under surveillance for a week to verify the report before organizing the sting operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-7.

A police poseur-buyer asked the suspect to sell him a small pack of shabu worth P200, which the suspect handed over in exchange for the buy-bust money.

Joaquilina, Cajuelan, and Lapay were also arrested after the police have confiscated several packs of shabu from their possession.

The three are allegedly also drug pushers but they also reportedly get their supply from Marinay.

Aside from the shabu pack, Marinay also yielded the buy-bust money, three small packs of suspected shabu; and a large pack of suspected shabu in the pocket of his pants.

The police found two small packs and a large pack of suspected shabu from Joaquelina; four small packs and two large packs of suspected shabu from Cajuelan; and a large pack, a medium pack, and two small packs of suspected shabu from Lapay.

The confiscated illegal drug weigh at least 12 grams and was worth at least P935,000 based on Dangerous Drugs Board estimates.  — (FREEMAN)