GOVERNMENT operatives have arrested eight people and seized some P185,600 worth of illegal drugs in separate anti-drug operations in the Zamboanga Peninsula, official said Wednesday, January 29.
Five of the eight, including a Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) official, were arrested as joint Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and police operatives have dismantled a drug den around 10:20 a.m. Tuesday at a pension house in Gatas Village, Pagadian City, the capital of Zamboanga del Sur.
PDEA assistant regional director Edgar Jubay identified the five arrested suspects as Arnold Madahan, 25, a target-listed drug personality and the drug den maintainer; Mark Lister Regis, 20, SK chairperson in a barangay of Ramon Magsaysay, Zamboanga del Sur; Karl Sabate, 20; Stephen Kent Buhisan, 19; and Christian Beejay Jayson, 18, all drug den visitors.
Jubay said confiscated during the anti-drug operation were some P81,600 worth of suspected shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) packed in 10 heat-sealed plastic sachets, P1,000 marked money, a pack of cigarette, and several drug paraphernalia.
He said the drug bust was launched following series of surveillance at the pension house.
The suspects will be charged for violation of Sections 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, and 26 in relation to Section 5 (selling), Article II of Republic Act 9165 otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, he added.
Police Major Helen Galvez, Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula information officer, identified the other three arrested suspects as Isidro Rabanes, 50; Ariel Kulabin, 18; and, James Peter Depalac, 31.
Galvez said Rabanes was arrested in a drug bust around 4 p.m. Tuesday at Sitio Pantukan in the village of Poblacion, Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte.
Recovered from Rabanes’ possession were some P59,000 worth of suspected shabu packed in four heat-sealed plastic sachets and P500 marked money.
Galvez said that Kulabin, a fish merchant and newly-identified drug personality, was caught in possession of some P30,000 worth of suspected shabu and P200 marked money when arrested in a drug bust around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the village of Campo Islam, this city.
She said that Depalac was arrested after being served a search warrant for violation of the anti-drugs law around 11 p.m. Tuesday in Calarian Village, this city.
She said the warrant servers recovered from Depalac a grenade and some P15,000 worth of suspected shabu packed in seven heat-sealed plastic sachets.
She said the suspects were detained while appropriate charges are set to be filed against them. (SunStar Zamboanga)