Korean, 4 others nabbed for drugs

CEBU, Philippines - Five people were held in police custody, including a Korean national, for violation of dangerous drugs law.

Korean national Lee Kyung Ho was taken into police custody after he voluntarily surrendered illegal drugs to security personnel at the Mactan- Cebu International Airport at 4:20 a.m. yesterday. 

Lee surrendered to security guard Jamel Baring three small packs of shabu and nine syringes. Baring, who was assigned at the entrance gate of the airport, turned over Lee to the Airport Police Division.

The airport police also turned over the suspect to the agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. According to initial reports, Lee approached the guard and took the illegal substance from his trolley bag and surrendered it to him.

In another incident, Gino Garciano, 37, and his live-in partner Michelle Pangatungan, 32, were arrested by the members of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office during a buy-bust operation in Sitio Looc, Barangay Marigondon Tuesday dawn.

A certain Donald Ondoy, 38, was also arrested few minutes after the couple’s arrest.

Police Senior Inspector Verniño Noserale, deputy chief of LCPO-City Intelligence Brach, said three medium packs of suspected shabu with an estimated value of P236, 000 were seized from the suspects.

The police seized several packs of shabu worth P77,800 from Ondoy. The three suspects are currently detained at the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office. Criminal complaints for violation of Republic Act 9165 or Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 are now being prepared against them.

Meanwhile, suspected drug pusher Lito Escarro, 34, was also arrested in Barangay Suba, Bantayan town last Tuesday morning.

The police seized more than P500,000 worth of illegal drugs from his possession.

The police conducted the sting operation against the suspect after two weeks of surveillance operations.

The operation was led by Senior Inspector Jose Rovic Villarin, station chief of Bantayan. — (FREEMAN)