In different drug busts: 7 fall, nearly P.5M shabu seized

CEBU, Philippines –  Police arrested five men including an alleged drug pusher who yielded nearly P240,000 worth of shabu in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Maslog, Danao City last Friday.

Arrested were Carlos “Junior” Baclado, the subject of the operation; Wenjelyn Calderon, 26; Larry Boy Lucero, 44; Ronilo Baco, 34; and Alvin Ponce, 22, who were reportedly caught sniffing shabu inside Baclado’s house.

Baclado was placed under arrest after he sold two packs of suspected shabu to a policeman who posed as buyer during the buy-bust operation.

The police searched Baclado and recovered 28 other small packs and a medium-size pack of suspected shabu, the P200 buy-bust money and P750 cash.

Three sachets of shabu were also recovered from Calderon; two sachets and drug paraphernalia from Baco; and a small pack from Ponce.

A total of 20.14 grams of shabu amounting to P239,770, as per Dangerous Drugs Board’s estimates, were recovered from the suspects who are now all detained awaiting charges against them.

Cebu City

Meanwhile in Barangay Talamban, Cebu City, close to P180,000 worth of suspected shabu and a firearm were seized from alleged drug pusher Nicorito “Toy” Bontilao on Thursday.

Neighbors of Bontilao, 35, reportedly failed to prevent the suspect from getting arrested when he tried to resist from the police.

Police Officer 2 Lorencio Cabanlit of Talamban Police Station said their Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group led by Senior Inspector Alvin Llamedo were sent to Sitio Nasipit after receiving reports about Bontilao’s alleged illegal drug activities.

Upon arrival at the area, the operatives reportedly saw Bontilao from a distance selling packs of shabu to individuals who were mostly young-looking.

The operatives arranged a buy-bust operation that led to Bontilao’s arrest.

Apart from the P200 buy-bust money, three medium-size packs of shabu and a cal. 22 magnum with four live rounds were further confiscated from the suspect.

The illegal drugs seized from the suspect amounted to around P177,000, according to DDB.

Cabanlit said when the policemen were about to make an inventory on the pieces of evidence they confiscated from the suspect, some of Bontilao’s neighbors tried to attack and threw stones at them.

The neighbors reportedly failed though to rescue Bontilao from the policemen who then brought the suspect to the station where the inventory was eventually conducted.

Bontilao was charged for illegal drug sale and possession and for illegal possession of firearm.

Asturias

Another suspected drug pusher was arrested and was seized with close to P78,000 worth of shabu in Barangay Poblacion, Asturias town yesterday.

Asturias Police arrested Jonathan Mahilom who yielded a medium-size pack and 20 sachets of shabu and an improvised shotgun during the operation.

The police were armed with a search warrant issued by Judge Hermes Montero of the Regional Trial Court Branch 59 in Toledo City when they proceeded to the suspect’s house early yesterday morning.

Senior Inspector Narciso Abapo, chief of Asturias Police Station, said the operation against Mahilom followed after placing the suspect under three-week surveillance.

Abapo said the suspect, who was awakened from his sleep, attempted to resist from the operatives.         

“Pag-sikad naabli ang pultahan, maayo gani kay na-neutralize dayon. Gahigda siya, gialimongawan. Mokuha unta sa iyang shotgun,” Abapo narrated.

After neutralizing the suspect, the police began to search the house and found the packs of suspected shabu weighing 6.6 grams and valued at P77,880, according to DDB.

A homemade shotgun with five live rounds and P1,600 cash were further confiscated from the suspect.

The suspect was brought to the police station and will be facing criminal charges. —/NSA (FREEMAN)