THE high-value target arrested by anti-drug operatives during a drug bust at a hotel in Bacolod City, on Wednesday night, August 2, reportedly sources his illegal drug supply from a dismissed police officer of Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO).
Senior Superintendent Jack Wanky, acting director of BCPO, said Thursday they are validating the information based on the revelation of one of the other six suspects arrested in the raid.
Wanky said a suspect revealed to them that their illegal drug supply comes from the policeman and drug groups in the Negros Island Region (NIR).
He added that they will place the former policeman, with a rank of Police Officer 3, under monitoring.
During the drug bust, Dindo Barcillo, 32, of Talisay City, a level two, high value target of Police Regional Office-NIR, and Robert Jan Herman, 34, of Bacolod City were arrested.
Their five companions, including Miko Manuel Luis Lizares Jr., 34; Karl Ocampo, 31; Mikael Nicholas Zayco, 34; Marvin Magno Jr., 35; and Mariano Villarosa Jr., 37, all of Bacolod City, were caught holding pot session inside the hotel room.
Wanky said three of the suspects claimed to be relatives of two politicians in southern Negros.
He added that the suspects, who were believed to be from prominent families in Negros Occidental, had undergone rehabilitation, but still continued to engage in the illegal activity.
The drug bust resulted to the recovery of about 70 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride or “shabu” with an estimated value of P700,000.
On May 9, Barcillo’s elder brother Dennis was arrested in a drug bust at Purok Bangrus, Barangay 1 where he yielded 600 grams of shabu amounting to P3 million.
Meanwhile, Inspector Adrian James Albaytar, head of City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU), said they filed charges against Dindo Barcillo before the City Prosecutor's Office on Thursday.
He was charged for violation of Section 5 (sale of dangerous drugs), Section 11 (possession of dangerous drugs), and Section 12 (possession of drug paraphernalia) of Republic Act 9165 or Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, and for violation of Republic 10591 or Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.
Barcillo yielded three big sachets of shabu, the P500 marked money, and an improvised .38 caliber revolver with six live ammunition.
Herman was also charged after he was directly involved in the transaction and was caught possessing three sachets of shabu, a weighing scale and two improvised torches.
The remaining five suspects, who were newly-identified drug personalities, were charged for possession of illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia after police seized from them five sachets of “shabu” and five improvised tooters.
All suspects are detained at Police Station 1.