Two suspected big-time pushers fall to cops in Cebu City, Sogod

Authorities arrested two suspected big-time drug pushers in separate operations, one in Sogod yesterday and the other in Cebu City Thursday.

Arrested in his house in Sogod yesterday dawn was 38-year-old Crispin "Keith" Arnejo who yielded to the town policemen 46 sachets of suspected shabu.

Sogod chief of police, Insp. Alvin Balio, led his men raiding Arnejo's house on the strength of a search warrant issued by Judge Sylvia Aguirre-Paderanga, of the 7th Judicial Branch 25 of Danao City.

Also seized from the suspect were P3350 in cash that the police believed to be proceeds of his illegal trade, four pieces of Cellophanes, 353 pieces of empty small plastic packs, 90 pieces of empty big plastic packs, 50 pieces of aluminum foils, and several shabu paraphernalia.

Town policeman PO1 Tirso Coming yesterday told The Freeman that barangay officals and tanods witnessed the raid and that Arnejo did not resist arrest and is now detained at the police detention cell.

Coming said the police had conducted earlier a month-long surveillance on Arnejo, who has been reputed to be a big time drug pusher in the barangay.

Arnejo is in the police list of drug personalities and was arrested once in 2003 for a similar offense, said Coming, adding that the suspect was already indicted of illegal drug charges, yesterday afternoon.

In Cebu City last Thursday afternoon, policemen of the Vice Control Section arrested 39-year-old Rey Tatoy Abella, alias Rey Abat, after allegedly selling a big pack of suspected shabu to a poseur buyer in Salvador Extension at barangay Labangon.

The buy-bust team, led by PO3 Jeffrey Larrobis, was composed of PO1's Romeo Jumalon, Roy Cabahug, and Julius Aniñon. They carried out the operation upon receiving information on Abella's illegal drug activities in the area.

Aniñon, accompanied by two civilian "assets", approached Abella to buy a pack of shabu using decoy money, consisting of wads of paper between two-marked P500 bills.

Right after completing the transaction, the police pounced on Abella and took him to the City Police headquarters at Camp Sotero Cabahug for interrogation. The VCS yesterday indicted him for charges of selling illegal drugs.

On October 12, 2003, the Punta Princesa Police also arrested Abella in a buy-bust but he got out of the case due to technical deficiencies.

On October 26, 2005, RTC-branch 15 Judge Fortunato de Gracia ordered Abella's provisional release due to the absence of arresting officer, PO1 Antonio Din, in the court hearings. - Norvie S. Misa and Edwin Ian Melecio