Pregnant woman nabbed for shabu

Joint elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Northern Field Office and the Metro Manila Drug Enforcement Group arrested two alleged drug pushers, including a nine months pregnant woman, in buy-bust operations Saturday night in Malabon City.

Superintendent Gene Ines Abrajano, CIDG-NFO chief, identified the suspects as Jocelyn Briones, 31, of 80 Liway-way street, Barangay Bayan-Bayanan, and Adriano Gungon, 31, of Sulukan street, Barangay Hulong Duhat, both in Malabon.

The suspects were arrested in a series of operations led by Chief Inspector Eddie Regalado, chief of MMDEG-North Sector.

First to fall was Gungon, who was apprehended at about 7 p.m. along Sulukan street after he reportedly sold a sachet of shabu to a police undercover agent.

At about 8 p.m., Regalado’s team proceeded to Barangay Bayan-Bayanan where they pounced on Briones as she reportedly handed a sachet of shabu to poseur-buyer PO1 Allan Apa.

Briones, who is to give birth to her fourth child within this week, said she only wanted to earn some money for her hospitalization.

"For every five sachets I sold, the fifth one would be mine," she said.

Saturday night was Briones’ unlucky night for she was only on her first sachet when the police arrested her. She pointed to a certain "Shirly" as her supplier.

"We have been receiving information of Briones activity, that’s why we conducted a buy-bust against her," Regalado said.

Briones’ husband, Ismael, a tricycle driver, begged the police to release his wife as she might give birth in her cell. Regalado, however, told him that the police are ready to bring her to a hospital when necessary. –Pete Laude