THREE individuals were arrested, and 11 grams of a substance believed to be shabu, valued at ₱74,800, were confiscated during a raid by operatives from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) - Cebu Provincial Office and the Labangon Police Station at 1:45 p.m. on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, in Barangay Buhisan, Cebu City.
The arrested individuals, all residents of the area, are Joseph Gonzaga, 49, an alleged drug den maintainer who is unemployed; JC James Odto, 22, a motorcycle taxi driver (habal-habal) and tattoo artist; and Rhohxzl Ricaña, 30, also a habal-habal driver.
According to PDEA 7 information officer Leia Alcantara, it took a week to build a case against Gonzaga before conducting the operation, following reports of his illegal drug activities.
According to reports, Gonzaga could dispose of between 10 and 25 grams of illegal substances each week.
The seized evidence has been forwarded to PDEA 7 for chemical analysis.
The suspects will face charges for violating Sections 5, 6, 7, 11, and 12, Article II of Republic Act 9165, known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. (AYB)