7 persons arrested in major Talisay raid

CEBU, Philippines - More than half million worth of illegal drugs, paraphernalia and illegal gambling machines were seized from seven suspects in the joint operations of different operating units in Barangay Tangke, Talisay City Thursday afternoon.

Four subjects of the search warrants and three others who were on the watch list of the Provincial Intelligence Branch were arrested during the simultaneous operations of the Provincial Intelligence Branch, Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Operation Task Group, Regional Special Operations Group, Regional Public Safety Battalion and the Cebu Provincial Police Office.

Arrested during the operation were Marissa Obrero of Barangay Tangke; Gloria Bazar, Rhoda Obrero, and Hazel Daan, both from Barangay Tangke, who were subjects of the search warrant issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Gilbert Moises of Branch 18.

Recovered were seven, five and 26 packets of shabu, assorted drug paraphernalia and two functional video Karera machines.

Nobody resisted the arrest and the suspects are now temporarily under the custody of the PIB.

Illegal drugs seized were taken to the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory-7 in Camp Sotero Cabahug, Cebu City for chemical analysis.

Senior Superintendent Noel Gillamac, CPPO director, said all arrested were females as former drug pushers are trying to shy away from the police by using their partner in doing the illegal drug trade.

“Not nga babaye di sila mosuyop, some of the personalities behind were arrested before one of them has a pending warrant of arrest that is why di na kaayo siya visible…so the one doing the transaction is a woman,” Gillamac said.

Gillamac added that he is now tasking the Talisay City police to monitor drug dens so as to prevent pushers from using them again.

He said he will also check the records of the Talisay police to know if they have accomplishments on containing drug problem in the city, otherwise, Talisay City police chief Carmelo Dayon will be relieved.

A few days ago, authorities confiscated a total of P4.5 million worth of illegal drugs in separate operations in the cities of Cebu and Mandaue.

Aside from drugs, there were also firearms and drug paraphernalia seized.

At least 23 suspects were arrested in the barangays of Ermita, Pasil, Duljo-Fatima and Calamba in Cebu City as well as in the barangays of Guizo, Subangdaku, Casili and Mantuyong in Mandaue City.

The joint operations were conducted by the Regional Intelligence Division, Regional Special Operations Group, Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Group, Mandaue City Police Office, Regional Public Safety Battalion and Cebu City Police Office.

Due to this, PRO-7 Director Prudencio Tom Bañas expects a drop in crime volume for this quarter. —/JMD (FREEMAN)