Drug ring member falls in La Union buy-bust

MANILA, Philippines - Anti-narcotics agents arrested a suspected member of a notorious drug ring operating in La Union during a buy-bust operation, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said on Friday.

Belated reports reaching the PDEA office in Quezon City identified the suspect as Ceferino Costales, 56, of Barangay Sagayad, San Fernando City.

PDEA director general Arturo Cacdac said Costales, a member of the Madamme Drug Group, is a target-listed drug personality in the PDEA Regional Office 1 targetlist.

Cacdac said operatives of PDEA in Region 1 arrested Costales in a buy-bust operation at the vicinity of Barangay Central East in Bauang town, conducted last May 20 at around 3 p.m.

Confiscated from Costales were additional two sachets of shabu, an aluminum foil, an improvised tooter, and P100 marked money.

The suspect will be charged for violation of Section 5 (Sale of Dangerous Drugs), Section 11 (Possession of Dangerous Drugs) and Section 12 (Possession of Drug Paraphernalia), Article II of Republic Act 9165, or The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.