Businessman nabbed in drug buy-bust

SIBULAN, NEGROS ORIENTAL, Philippines  – A businessman in this town was arrested in a drug buy-bust operation by a joint team of law enforcers Wednesday afternoon.

The businessman, identified as Juryn Lambojon who is an owner of a surplus shop in this town, was arrested together with a suspected drug peddler from Cebu City, Amado Batomalaki.

Operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the National Bureau of Investigation and the police conducted the buy-bust resulting in the arrest of the two.

Confiscated from the suspects were 38 sachets of suspected illegal drugs, which PDEA estimated to be worth a total of P152,000 at P4,000 per sachet, P61,210 in cash believed to be proceeds of illegal drugs deal, and the P7,200 marked money used by the poseur buyer of the police.

A Suzuki car and a Honda XRM motorcycle were also seized from the suspects, said the authorities.

Negros Oriental Provincial Police director Sr. Supt. Edgar Carranza told The Freeman that the source of Lambojon’s illegal drugs is from Badian town in Cebu. His office will coordinate with the Cebu Provincial Police Office regarding this, he said.

Carranza added that Lambojon admitted to him that some rich personalities in Dumaguete City were his customers, but he however refused to reveal the names of his clients.

PDEA-Negros Oriental director Rayford Yap said that Lambojon and Batomalaki will be charged with violations of Section 11 of Republic Act 9165 for possession of illegal drugs, and of Section 5 of the same law for selling of illegal drugs.

Yap considered Lambojon as a large-scale seller of illegal drugs in the province; and the arrest of the suspect would affect the illegal drugs trade in the province.

Both suspects refused to comment on their arrest.  (FREEMAN)