A TOP police official announced that six persons, including a businessman, were arrested while some P507,020 worth of illegal drugs were seized in separate anti-drug operations in the past two days in the Zamboanga Peninsula.
Police Brigadier General Ronaldo Genaro Ylagan, Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula director, identified the arrested suspects as the following: Rafidz Ismael, 27; Merham Bakil, 43; Chester Markilan, 31; Abdurasa Sarahan, 41; Alvin Ting, 22; and Garreth Remegia, 28.
Ylagan said Ismael, a businessman who is listed as the top 4 priority target in the region, was arrested by joint police and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) operatives in an anti-drug operation around 5:15 p.m. Thursday in Purok B, Poblacion village, Kabasalan, Zamboanga Sibugay.
Ylagan said Ismael yielded five grams of suspected shabu worth P34,000 and 16 pieces of P1,000 boodle money topped with one genuine P1,000 bill as marked money.
Ylagan said Bakil and Markilan were caught in possession of some P30,000 worth of suspected shabu and P500 marked money when arrested around 2:30 a.m. Friday in Talon-Talon village, Zamboanga City.
Recovered from Sarahan were some P374,000, a camelback bag, a motorcycle, and nine pieces of P1,000 boodle money topped with two genuine P500 buy-bust money when arrested in a buy-bust operation around 9:05 a.m. Thursday at Ruste Drive in San Jose Cawa-Cawa village, Zamboanga City, Ylagan said.
He said seized from Ting were some P1,020 worth of illegal drugs, a cellular phone, and P1,000 marked money when arrested in a buy-bust operation around 1:20 p.m. Thursday in Poblacion village, Margosatubig, Zamboanga del Sur.
He said Remegia was arrested in possession of P68,000 worth of suspected shabu, a coin purse and P500 marked money by joint team of policemen and Coast Guard personnel in an anti-drug operation around 5:30 p.m. along Corcuerra Street in Zone IV village, Zamboanga City.
He said charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 are set to be filed against the suspects, who were detained. (SunStar Zamboanga)