SEVEN drug personalities were caught in Talisay City and a marijuana plantation was raided in Cebu City last Tuesday.
Anti-narcotics police operatives seized more than P600,000 worth of illegal drugs.
On the same day, a 39-year-old Japanese national believed to be a member of an international mafia organization was arrested by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 7 inside a hotel in Barangay Sta. Cruz, Cebu City.
Atsushi Tosawa yielded a medium pack of suspected shabu, four syringes, tin foils and other paraphernalia.
They believed he is a Yakuza member as the foreigner’s body is wrapped in dragon tattoos. His left little finger had been cut off.
PDEA 7 received information from the hotel’s management about the foreigner’s suspicious activity.
Tosawa allegedly accepted several visitors, men and women from Barangays Calamba and Pasil.
The agents and hotel security personnel pretended to be cleaners. When they were inside the room, they caught the suspect carrying illegal drugs and sniffing tools.
Tosawa allegedly often refused hotel cleaners to enter his room, but a cleaner saw drug paraphernalia one time.
Yakuza
The foreigner admitted to Superbalita Cebu that he is a drug user. He served jail time in Japan for illegal drug trade.
Tosawa, who has been living in the Philippines for three years, refused to confirm if he is a Yakuza member.
In Barangay Tangke, Talisay City, the team from Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU) and Provincial Intelligence Branch caught a brother of a barangay official and suspected hitman of a detained drug lord at 10 a.m.
Senior Insp. Nazarino Emia, Police Intelligence Branch deputy chief, identified Rinie Gavas as the brother of Tangke’s first councilor.
He tagged Jason Padillo as the hitman and a fraternity member.
Emia said the barangay official’s house was used as drug den.
Police seized 20.28 grams of white crystals believed to be shabu worth P239,000.
Padillo yielded an unlicensed .45 pistol after his arrest.
Gavas and his cousin Padillo were caught along with Russel Bartolome, Angel Rose Beter, Jessica Abesia, Christopher Relampagos and Padillo’s brother Harold.
An hour earlier, operatives from Cebu City Police Office-City Mobile Force Company and Naval Forces Central raided a marijuana farm in Barangay Adlaon.
They uprooted 1,080 fully grown marijuana plants worth P432,000. No cultivator was caught.
Most of the plants were burned in the mountain village.
Suspects will be facing complaints for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. (KAL)