2 top drug personalities in town fall in buy-bust

CEBU, Philippines – Two alleged drug pushers were arrested in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Bakhawan in Daanbantayan, Cebu on Thursday evening.

Police identified the suspects as Simplicio Inot, 61, reportedly the number one drug personality in the town, and Ruel Manzanares, 32, reportedly the fourth on the list of the police of drug pushers.

The operation conducted by Daanbantayan police was hatched after several attempts to arrest both suspects following numerous reports about their illegal drug trade.

The police placed the suspects under surveillance and initially subjected them to separate buy-bust operations.

However, on Thursday, when the police were targeting Inot, they learned that Manzanares was also around.

One of the police officers who acted as decoy asked Inot to sell him a pack of shabu worth P200. Reportedly during the transaction, Manzanares was helping Inot in selling the illegal drugs.

The poseur-buyer announced his identity and placed both suspects under arrest.

Other policemen on standby, headed by the station chief, Senior Inspector Roger Balansag, swooped down on the suspects and immediately handcuffed them.

At least 11 small packs of suspected shabu including the subject of the buy-bust, the buy-bust money, and a cellular phone were recovered from Inot.

 A pack of suspected shabu, drug paraphernalia, and also a cellular phone were also confiscated from Manzanares.

The two are now detained and will be facing illegal drug charges. —/NSA (FREEMAN)