Drug group leader, 2 others nabbed

CEBU, Philippines - An alleged leader of a group and two others linked to the illegal drugs trade were arrested in a buy-bust operation Wednesday evening at Sara, Iloilo.

Senior Superintendent Cornelio Salinas, Iloilo Police Provincial Office chief, identified the suspected leader as Melvin Braga, 39, a resident of Barangay Bacabac in Sara town but was temporarily staying at his lover’s house in Barangay Zerrudo where the buy-bust was conducted.

Members of IPPO’s Intelligence Branch/Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force also arrested Roel de Asis, 28, of Barangay Aposaga in Sara, and Jhonjie Asada, 20, of Zerrudo.

Confiscated from the suspects were 18 plastic sachets of suspected shabu, a digital weighing scale, a .45-caliber pistol loaded with five bullets, a .9-mm Ingram machine pistol with three ammunition, P1,070 in cash and other drug paraphernalia.

Salinas said the firearms recovered during the operation will be placed through the integrated ballistic information system to determine if these were used in other crimes.  (FREEMAN)