Thursday, February 21, 2008 NBI raid leads to arrest of pregnant peddler
AGENTS of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) raided three houses in simultaneous anti-drug operations in Pinamungajan town yesterday dawn, making one arrest and confiscating drugs and cash.
The raid was followed by a buy-bust in Barangay Mambaling in Cebu City, which led to the arrest of a 27-year-old pregnant woman who allegedly sold 10 grams of shabu to an undercover agent.
The operations were in response to information generated by the NBI and conducted with the participation of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, NBI 7 Director Medardo de Lemos said.
Using two P50 bills previously speckled with ultra-violet powder and placed among 40 pieces of P1,000 bills, an undercover agent went to the house of one Amelia Vergara in Mambaling to buy two large packs of shabu with a combined weight of 10 grams.
A backup team of agents arrested Vergara while still in the act of counting the money.
She refused to be interviewed at the NBI 7 office. She is nine months pregnant and is set to give birth by the end of the month.
In an interview, Special Investigator Arnel Pura said the transaction was conducted inside the house of Vergara, who is included in the police’s order of battle.
For his part, de Lemos said the items confiscated during the raid, which included digital weighing scales, showed that she did more than drug pushing.
“She has the capacity to sell to dealers,” he said.
In the Pinamungajan operation, the agents set out around 2 a.m. and conducted the raid just before daybreak. It was authorized by Judge Cesar Estrera of the Regional Trial Court Branch 29 based in Toledo City.
The agents went to Barangay Tutay and proceeded to the house of Romeo Baykang, knocked and announced the search. Although the suspect fled, the agents recovered illegal drugs and drug-use paraphernalia.
In another part of Barangay Tutay, a separate team of agents went knocking on the homes of one Nadit Guerrero and Ryan Monteza. Of the two, only Monteza was around and was taken into custody.
The agents recovered drugs, which have yet to be weighed, drug-use paraphernalia and a Llama .22 cal. pistol.
“We will be submitting the return of our search warrant in Toledo City. We will also be filing the cases against the three persons there,” de Lemos said. (KNR)
