TWO suspected drug pushers were killed, three others were arrested while P8.8 million worth of illegal drugs was recovered in separate anti-drug operations in Cebu on Friday, Oct. 25, and Saturday, Oct. 26.
At 9:15 a.m. on Saturday, suspected drug pushers Richie Eballe and Reynaldo Mabuti were killed by anti-drug enforcement units of the Consolacion Police Station at their house at South Binabag, Barangay Tayud, of the said town.
Arrested during the operation were Ricky Montejo and Geronimo Auman, who were found repacking illegal drugs.
Police Maj. Verniño Noserale, Consolacion police chief, said Eballe, an ex-convict charged for robbery, was the subject of their operation.
Recovered during the operation were five small packs and five medium packs of suspected shabu worth P184,600; a .38 caliber revolver, a .45 calibre pistol and a cellular phone.
Noserale added that Eballe’s customers were mostly construction workers.
A few hours earlier, operatives of the Provincial Intelligence Branch (PIB) arrested Alan Torreon, 43, after he was caught carrying at least 55 grams of suspected shabu worth P238,000 in Barangay Lawaan 3, Talisay City.
Police Lt. Col. Marlu Conag, PIB chief, said Torreon was not only involved in illegal drugs, he also worked as a gun-for-hire for suspected drug pusher Richie Daan.
Daan, who was operating in Barangay Tanke, was killed by police in 2016.
While at 10 p.m. on Friday, operatives of the Mambaling Police Station arrested a 26-year-old suspected drug pusher in Sitio Pungtod, Barangay Mambaling in Cebu City.
Eric Booc was previously operating in Barangay Ermita but transferred to Mambaling after he was heavily monitored in his previous area of residence.
Police Capt. Francis Renz Talosig, Mambaling Police chief, led the operation against Booc.
Recovered from Booc were 230 grams of suspected shabu worth P1.5 million.
Talosig told SunStar Cebu that Booc’s neighbors are often on alert whenever he is around as he is often to drop his drug supply to sell them.
He said it took them a week to monitor Booc before they initiated the buy-bust against him.
Separately, Booc admitted he sold illegal drugs but added he only gets a few deliveries from his suppliers.
While on Saturday afternoon, around a kilo of suspected shabu worth P6.9 million was recovered from a suspected drug pusher in Barangay Carreta, Cebu City.
Operatives of the Abellana Police Station arrested Merasol Marangga Bonane, 41, a native of Aluibijid, Misamis Oriental and currently residing in Sitio Upper Carreta.
Police Maj. Eduard Sanchez, Abellana Police Station chief, said they got word of Bonane’s illegal operation based on a tip from one of their informants.
Following weeks of surveillance, Sanchez and his operatives immediately initiated a buy-bust against Bonane.
Sanchez believes Bonane was preparing her supply in preparation for All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days.
Separately, Police Col. Gemma Vinluan, Cebu City Police Office director, said they have been conducting non-stop operations against illegal drug sellers since Oct. 23.
The results of the operations on Friday and Saturday goes to show that illegal drugs being shipped from Luzon continue to arrive in Cebu and thus police need to monitor the possible entry points to prevent their distribution, Vinluan added. (from AYB and BBT of Superbalita Cebu, WBS / JKV)