5 fall in drug-busts

CEBU, Philippines – Five people were arrested in separate buy-bust operations conducted by the police over the weekend in Toledo City and Dalaguete resulting in the seizure of over P1 million worth of shabu.

Operatives of the Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations task Group arrested Marlon Cantiga, 26, in Barangay Tapon, Toledo City at 11 p.m. on Saturday.

Cantiga and his mother Lucia were subject of the buy-bust operation led by Senior Police Officer 1 Renante Solante. Lucia, however, was able to elude arrest.

"Ang inahan apil og tunol didto…pag-sinyas sa poseur buyer, pag-hamag na sa back-up sa pag-arrestar unta ang usa ray nagunitan, nakadagan ang usa, ang inahan," Solante said.

Nevertheless, the police seized at least P218,300 worth of suspected shabu.

"Igmat gyud sila kay naa may lookout sa gawas naay bilyaran ipon didto iyang lookout. Naay nitimbre, bantay mo kay naay taga-province," he said.

According to Solante, they were able to retrieve a text message from the cellphone of the suspect warning the latter of the police presence.

Solante said they are now investigating to identify the tipster. He did not discount the possibility that the informer could be one of them.

"Basin naay nadakpan nato sa una, posibli sad (kauban nato) wa ta kahibawo. Mahibaw-an ra ni nato atong subayon, layo gud ni kaayo (Toledo City) n'ya ibutang nila sa delikado ang kinabuhi sa atong operatiba," he added.

Few hours before Cantiga was arrested the police also arrested suspected drug runner Bobby Arili, 30, in Purok 5, Barangay Carmen, Toledo City. Suspected drug pusher Kadapi Puyong, who was subject of the buy-bust operation, however, was able to elude arrest.

The police confiscated P550,000 worth of suspected shabu. The operation was conducted by the members of the precinct 1 of Toledo City Police Station.

Meanwhile, operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-7 also arrested yesterday three people allegedly involved in illegal drugs at Sitio La Paz, Barangay Poblacion, Dalaguete.

The suspects were Jonathan and Melvin Jumamil and Elena Espinosa. The CIDG-7 operatives led by Senior Inspector Delfin Bontuyan confiscated at least P236,000 worth of shabu.

Bontuyan said the subject of the buy-bust operation was Melver Jumamil but he was able to escape from the dragnet through the backdoor of his house. His brothers and his live-in partner were the ones arrested.

The police found a customized box that looks like a dictionary containing drugs and .380 pistol with 12 rounds of ammunition. The box was owned by Merver.

A KG-9 machine pistol and .357 revolver were also seized from Jonathan while several packs of shabu were found in Melvin and Espinosa's possession.

According to Bontuyan, Melver was placed under surveillance for two months.

"Maabot man kuno ni siya og Badian unya dinhi pud kuno sa syudad (Cebu City)," said Bontuyan.

He said they also received information that Melver is an ex-convict. He had been to prison in Muntinlupa for the same offense.

The police are now preparing criminal complaints against the suspects. —/FPL (FREEMAN)