3 fall in drug bust

CEBU, Philippines – Almost P50,000 worth of illegal drugs were seized Saturday dawn from three alleged drug traders through a buy-bust operation conducted by police anti-drug group in Barangay Poblacion, Lapu-Lapu City.

Remcelio Ramas, 48; John Paul Daño, 26; and Cristuto Sorela, 43, all residents of the barangay, were arrested, according to Senior Inspector Rogelio Pineda Jr., chief of Lapu-Lapu City Police Office City Anti-Illegal Drug Special Operations Task Group.

Some 70 small packs of illegal substance, together with P1,000 proceeds and drug paraphernalia, were seized from Ramas.  He is also known for the name "Jun Konsehal" and was the target of the operation, according to Pineda.

The marked money of P200 was used by the group's police poseur buyer in transacting for illegal drugs from Ramas.

S/Insp. Pineda added that another 10 small sizes of reported shabu were confiscated by the police authorities from Daño while two small packs were retrieved from Sorela.

Ramas, Daño and Sorela are now detained in Lapu-Lapu City Detention Cell while the recovered items were submitted to LLCPO headquarters for examination.

The suspects will be filed with criminal charges under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

In a separate operation last Friday, police also swooped down on P300,000 worth of illegal drugs and more than P2,000 drug proceeds from two residents of Sitio Seaside, Barangay Pusok who reportedly sourced their drugs from Muntinlupa City in Metro Manila.