Buy-bust operations: Woman, three men yield gun, drugs

CEBU, Philippines - Four persons were arrested and almost one million worth of suspected shabu was confiscated by the police in two anti-illegal drug operations last Tuesday.

In Sitio Cabantan, Barangay Luz, Cebu City Tuesday afternoon, Romeo Mantal, 35, and Edward Rodriguez, 47, yielded the illegal drugs during the buy-bust operation by Cebu City Anti-Illegal Drug Special Operations Task Group (CAIDSOTG) operatives.

Senior Inspector Eunil Avergonzado, CAIDSOTG chief, said Mantal is an alleged level two drug pusher who can dispose of more than 300 grams of illegal drugs every week.

Avergonzado said that after receiving information on Mantal’s alleged illegal activity, they immediately placed the suspect under surveillance, which lasted for three weeks.

Around 4 p.m. last Tuesday, CAIDSOTG launched its sting operation on Mantal, who fell into the trap by selling a small pack of suspected shabu to a poseur-buyer in exchange for P200 in marked money.

Avergonzado said that when Mantal noticed the presence of policemen, he immediately ran inside his house where Rodriguez was also found with three small packs of suspected shabu.

Avergonzado said Rodriguez served as Mantal’s assistant and was there in the house allegedly to get packs of illegal drugs to sell.

Aside from the illegal drugs seized during the buy-bust operation, the police also found inside Mantal’s room two large and four small packs of suspected shabu. All confiscated illegal drugs weighed around 60 grams, which would fetch P700,000.

Avergonzado said the suspect was just about to repack the large packs of suspected shabu into small sachets.

The police official said Mantal revealed that he got his supply of illegal drugs from Muntinlupa City and that he was in the illegal business for six months yet.

Mantal and Rodriguez are now facing charges for violation of the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Meanwhile, in Barangay Media Once, Toledo City Tuesday night, Emelita “Emily” Obinque, 49, the subject of the buy-bust operation, and Aljun Abella, 33, were arrested by the police in Barangay Media Once, Toledo City.

The policemen, who were from the Don Andres Soriano Police Community Precinct 1 of Toledo City Police Station, also seized at least P230,000 worth suspected shabu during the operation, which was launched after a series of test buys.

Obinque was arrested past 11 p.m. after handing to a police poseur-buyer a pack of shabu in exchange for P200.

Abella, who was with Obinque during the transaction, was also jailed after the operation.

When Obinque was frisked, the police recovered the buy-bust money and confiscated three more small packs and a medium pack of suspected shabu from her possession.

The confiscated shabu weighed 20 grams and is valued at P230,000 based on Dangerous Drugs Board estimates.

Both Obinque and Abella, who were brought to the DAS PCP, will be criminally charged for violating The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Toledo City Police Station is one of five police stations in Cebu province that performed well in the campaign against illegal drugs. — (FREEMAN)