MANILA, Philippines - Authorities arrested a suspected drug dealer, confiscating over a kilo of dried marijuana leaves during a buy bust operation in Bataan, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said Thursday.
PDEA director general Arturo Cacdac Jr.said anti-narcotics agents, along with the local police, nabbed James Lee Aquino, 28, a target-listed drug personality and a resident of Sitio Paliparan, Brgy. Lucanin, Mariveles, Bataan.
Belated reports reaching PDEA main office in Quezon City showed that last August 25, around 3 p.m., combined elements of the PDEA Regional Office 3, Bataan Criminal Investigation Detection Team (CIDT), Bataan Provincial Intelligence Branch, Bataan Provincial Police Office and Mariveles Police Station conducted a buy-bust operation in Lucanin, Mariveles, Bataan which led to the arrest of Aquino.
Besides the 1.6 kilos of dried marijuana leaves, authorities also seized from Aquino two plastic sachets of suspected shabu, two pieces of caliber .38 ammunition, a viper 2 cal. 9mm with magazine with a live ammunition, a caliber .22 rifle with magazine, and 13 pieces of live ammunition, assorted drug paraphernalia and three P1,000 bills used as marked money.
Aquino will be charged for violation of Section 5 (Sale of Dangerous Drugs), Section 11 (Possession of Dangerous Drugs), and Section 12 (Possession of Equipment and Other Drug Paraphernalia for Dangerous Drugs), Article II of Republic Act 9165, or The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Additional charge for violation of RA 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act) will be filed against Aquino.