|
Friday, May 13, 2005
Top drug peddlers in Pampanga fall
By Albert B. Lacanlale
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Three suspected drug peddlers, including the two most wanted drug pushers in Pampanga and this city, have fallen into the hands of the police here on Wednesday.
Superintendent Nicanor S. Targa, city police chief, said the three suspects, Neil P. Lingat alias "Seng-seng", Joseph B. Pineda alias "Volume", and one Dayan C. Lacson, were arrested in entrapment operations.
Lingat, 35, married of No. 415 Ninabel St., in Barangay Dau, Mabalacat, is listed by police as Pampanga's No. 1 drug pusher, while Pineda, 37, married of I. Street, Mansgold, Sta. Lucia, this city, is San Fernando police's most wanted drug peddler. Lacson, on the other hand, is an ordinary street pusher.
Targa said the suspects were arrested in Barangay Lourdes, here, by a group of operatives, headed by Senior Inspector Ferdinand D. Germino.
Lacson and Pineda were caught in the act of selling 1.0306 grams of suspected shabu worth P3,000 to an operative who posed as a drug buyer. Lingat managed to flee but was later cornered in Barangay Moras dela Paz in Santo Tomas town.
The suspects reportedly yielded six pieces of P500 bills marked money and 15 sachets of the illegal drugs with a total weight of 20.3680 grams. A five-gram pack of "Class A" shabu has a street price of P12,000 to P15,000.
Also recovered were a Toyota Revo with license plate VTC-444 and a motorcycle that has no license plate.
When questioned, Lingat said the Revo is owned by his sister-in-law, who is a bank employee in Angeles City. His wife, he added, is a public school teacher.
Asked why he was involved in illegal drugs, Lingat said he wanted to show his family that he could earn his own income.
Pineda admitted that he peddles illegal drugs in San Fernando.
Senior Inspector Germino said Lingat even offered the arresting party P500,000 if they would let him escape.
Germino said Lingat has vowed to give them P100,000 on the spot, with the rest of the half-million "bribe" to be delivered to them within the next three days. They refused.
Targa immediately presented the suspects to City Mayor Oscar S. Rodriguez, who urged the arrested persons to cooperate with the City Government in identifying other personalities involved in the illegal drugs trade.
"We can help lessen the gravity of their offenses if they would help identify the people behind this drug menace," Rodriguez said.
The mayor also lauded Targa and the city police for putting behind bars yet another batch of drug offenders.
"We will not stop until we totally put a stop to this illegal operation," Rodriguez said.
The mayor, who ordered a thorough investigation to determine if the suspects are linked to a bigger drug syndicate, said the City Government would award recognition on Monday to policemen involved in the arrest.
(May 13, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
|
|
[return to top]
[home]
|
|
Taxi fleet owner robbed, abducted