POLICE seized suspected illegal drugs worth about P1.6 million in separate buy-busts in Lapu-Lapu City last Thursday.
Operatives from the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LLCPO) arrested Meriam Ampaso and Jeffrey Casil, 28, in Barangay Marigondon around 11:30 p.m.
The two allegedly yielded 125 grams of suspected shabu estimated by police to be worth P1.5 million.
Senior Insp. Verniño Noserale, chief of the LLCPO's City Intelligence ranch, said Ampaso, 39, was the main subject of the operation and that she had been in their watch list for some time.
Ampaso declined to comment when asked by reporters about her arrest, saying her lawyer will answer the allegations in time.
Single ma
She said she is a single mother with nine children, and that she sold ready-to-wear clothes for a living. They live in Bougainvillea Village in Barangay Marigondon.
The Lanao del Norte native and her alleged cohort, a resident of Sitio Buyong, Barangay Maribago, were detained in LLCPO's holding cell.
Noserale, who led the operation, said Ampaso's illegal activities had been monitored for two weeks. He said she could sell 200 grams of shabu per transaction.
Ampaso and Casil allegedly sold a medium sachet of shabu to a police officer pretending to be a buyer in exchange for P8,000. The decoy used boodle money, or strips of paper passed off as money.
Noserale said they confiscated one large pack of suspected shabu and three medium packs containing the same substance.
More suspects
He said they also recovered some drug-sniffing paraphernalia and P3,500 cash believed to be proceeds from the illegal trade.
In Sitio Kagudoy, Barangay Basak, three men were arrested after they were allegedly caught selling shabu near a private school.
Personnel from the Marigondon Police Station seized suspected shabu worth P100,000 allegedly from Geoffrey Mortiga, 33, who was the subject of the buy-bust operation carried out around 4 p.m.
SPO3 Nonilon Estonilo Jr. said they confiscated five small sachets and three medium packs of shabu from Mortiga.
Also arrested were his alleged cohorts Rico Bacloita, 38, and Jimuel Bilela, 28.
Mortiga and Bacloita are residents of Sitio Kagudoy while Bilela is from Barangay Gun-ob.
SPO3 Nonilon Estonilo Jr. said the illegal activity had been monitored for two weeks.
On Monday, the drugs suspects are set to be charged with violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.