Drug raid nets 16 people

CEBU, Philippines - A suspected drug user was injured while 15 others were arrested after Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-7 conducted a buy-bust and implemented a search warrant past 3 p.m. yesterday in Sitio Ibabao, Barangay Pusok, Lapu-Lapu City.

Greatchen Booc, 30, a suspected drug pusher and drug den operator and her older brother Arnold, 34, were arrested in the operation as well as 14 other suspected drug users.

One of them was injured after a G.I. sheet grazed his forehead while he was trying to escape.

Agent Levi Valmoria said PDEA received a report of the alleged illegal operation of the subject on October 1. He said they conducted a surveillance operation and test buy to verify the report and proved positive.

They applied for a search warrant and implemented it yesterday afternoon but before the implementation a poseur-buyer bought a pack of suspected shabu worth P150 from Greatchen that led to her arrest.

After the drug den visitors learned of her arrest they scampered in different directions. One of them went up the roof but fell and injured his forehead.

PDEA agents recovered 11 medium packs of suspected shabu from the drug den estimated to weigh around 50 grams and valued close to P600,000.

When Greatchen was interviewed she denied being the drug den operator and a drug pusher, she told reporters that she was only a cook. She said that her employer would pay her for P150 a day and she uses it to support her seven children, the oldest is 11 years old while the youngest is only a year old.

Although she knew that she is working in a drug den she added that she could not find another job.

“Wa man koy laing panginabuhi-an sir maong nisulod ko’g cook, pero wala gyud ko namaligya,” Booc said.

Her older brother Arnold was also arrested inside the drug den.

Greatchen and Arnold will be the eighth and the ninth of 15 siblings to be incarcerated for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

“Aw mag-reunion lang unya mi ngadto sir,” she added.

 An hour later, a supposed hot pursuit operation for a suspect in a shooting incident led to the arrest of a woman with packs of suspected shabu in Sitio San Miguel, Barangay Tisa, Cebu City.

 Cherry Jane Borbon, 33, was arrested by personnel of the Special Weapons and Tactics together with Tisa Barangay Captain Phillip Zafra.

Zafra said prior to Borbon’s arrest, a shooting incident happened in Sitio Manga in the same barangay over an illegal gambling machine.

He said people who saw the incident told him that the suspect might be in Sitio San Miguel.

This prompted him to ask assistance from the policemen to arrest the suspect and SWAT personnel responded.

When they arrived they saw a man leave a small house just beside a basketball and quickly run back inside when he saw them. They found his behavior suspicious and entered the house where they saw Borbon with four small and one big packs of suspected shabu and assorted drug paraphernalia.

Zafra said the man, who was able to escape, may have been a customer of Borbon.

Borbon denied the allegation and said the drugs were owned by her live-in-partner, Abnir Baltes, 40, who was not around at the time.

Borbon will still be facing charges for violating the Dangerous Drugs Act.

“Nalipay na lang sad ta nga bisan og wala nato nadakpan to ang suspek sa pagpamusil, naa gihapon ta’y nadakop nga na-involve sa illegal nga buhat,” said Zafra. —/BRP (FREEMAN)