6 men caught in Mandaue drug bust
SIX men were nabbed while more than P6 million worth of “shabu” were seized in separate drug busts in Mandaue City on Sept. 28-29, 2019.
Anti-narcotics operatives caught Jose Jaime Auditor, also known as Otik, in Sitio Maharlika, Barangay Tipolo at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
The 47-year-old suspect, who hails from Barangay Duljo Fatima, Cebu City, yielded a kilo of “shabu” worth P6.8 million to the personnel of the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO)-Drug Enforcement Unit.
Auditor had been listed as a high value target in the city level before his arrest.
P/Maj. Regino Maramag Jr., who led the operation, said the suspect’s arrest was a result of a two-month surveillance.
Auditor reportedly has a wide distribution network in Metro Cebu as he is a member of an established drug syndicate, according to Maramag.
However, the police official refused to divulge more information on the syndicate as his unit is building up a case against Auditor and the group.
“The center of their operation is Cebu City,” Maramag said.
Around 2 a.m. Sunday, operatives of the Casuntingan Police Station also arrested five drug suspects.
P/SSgt. Algie Villaester, investigator on case, identified the suspects as Albert Patindol, 33; Larry Adolfo, 44; Oliver Puebla, 49; Michael Magiputin, 40; and Ranel Melmao, 39.
Patindol, a suspected pusher, was the target of the drug bust. The others were believed to be his customers. They were all caught in a room in Casuntingan described by the police as a drug den.
Before his arrest, Patindol had been renting the room for more than a year already.
Patindol used his room in dealing drugs with his customers, said Villaester.
An informant told the police station about the illegal activity of Patindol. This was confirmed after an undercover police officer bought a pack of shabu from the suspect.
“There were several tin foil and paraphernalia in the room,” Villaester said in Cebuano.
Seized from Patindol were six small packs of suspected shabu, lighters, used tin foil and other drug paraphernalia.
The suspects will face charges for violating Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. Selling illegal drugs is a non-bailable offense. (WBS)