11 caught in separate police operations for drugs, gambling

CEBU, Philippines - At least 11 persons, including a 15-year-old boy, were arrested in different police operations in just a day in Cebu City.

Security personnel of a mall located in Barangay Luz turned over a 15-year-old boy to the police after the minor was caught in possession with packs of dried leaves believed to be marijuana at around 2:30 p.m.

The minor was arrested by the house detective of the mall, who noticed the boy bringing a medium and small pack of suspected marijuana dried leaves. He was then turned over to the Mabolo Police Station.

 In Barangay Labangon, at least seven persons, who were reportedly gambling through a game locally known as “hantak”, were arrested at around 8 p.m. Saturday. One of them yielded packs of suspected shabu.

Police confiscated two medium packs of suspected shabu from 21-year-old Arnold Garbo of A. Lopez St., Mahayahay I of the same barangay.

Others arrested were Eric Navarro, 32; Romeo Villamor Jr., 44; Pantaleon Palinso Jr., 57; Adriano Baldago Jr., 44; Efren Gutang, 32; and Anthony Luces, 36.

At around 1:30 p.m. of the same day, another 21-year-old man, tagged as one of the top ten illegal-drug watch list personalities of Cebu City’s station 11, was arrested at Sitio Cadahu-an, Barangay Talamban during a buy-bust operation.

Bryan Ouano was arrested by operatives of the Talamban Police after he handed over to a poseur buyer a small pack of suspected shabu in exchange for P200.

Police further seized four small packs of illegal drugs and P400 from Ouano’s possession believed to be proceeds of his alleged illegal activity.

In another operation, a 34-year-old man was also arrested by policemen at around 12 p.m. and might be facing two cases for theft and illegal drugs.

Costroller Andicoy of Sitio Kanaas Singson Barangay Guadalupe was also arrested after police seized from a fighting cock he allegedly stole and a small pack of suspected shabu from his possession.

Another 32-year-old man, Rodel Daljo, was also arrested by police of Parian Police Station after he was caught in possession of several drug paraphernalia while police were roving around Sitio San Miguel, Barangay Lorega at 4 a.m. last Saturday.

Lady “drug pusher” arrested in Balamban

Meanwhile, agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-7 arrested a suspected lady drug pusher in a buy-bust operation past 9 p.m. on Saturday in Barangay Cansomoroy, Balamban town that led to the confiscation of at least P55,000 worth of marijuana. 

Angel Baricuatro, 36, was arrested during the operation but her live-in partner and alleged cohort, Bienvenido Sabalandi, eluded arrest.

PDEA spokesperson Russel Niebres, in a telephone interview, said that the subjects were placed under two weeks of surveillance after PDEA-7 received a report of Baricuatro’s alleged illegal activity.

To confirm if the suspects were into selling marijuana, PDEA-7 agents conducted a series of surveillance operations and test buys that turned out to be positive.

The PDEA-7 agents then conducted a buy-bust operation against the two.

The poseur-buyer and the suspects agreed to meet at Eskina Campo, Barangay Cansomoroy, Balamban town along the transcentral highway for the transaction.

When the three met, the poseur-buyer gave the couple the boodle money and took packs of dried marijuana leaves from them.

When the poseur-buyer saw the dried marijuana leaves, he signaled to the other agents, who swooped down on the suspects.

However, Sabalandi detected the presence of the law enforcers and ran away. Despite the agents’ efforts to arrest him, Sabalandi could no longer be located by the law enforcers.

The agents confiscated dried marijuana leaves weighing 5,500 grams from Baricuatro, that was placed inside a red “sako bag”; her mobile phone; the boodle money; and the motorcycle that they used to reach the area.

The suspects will be charged with violation of section 5 in relation to section 26 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.  (FREEMAN)