Among the first to fall into the hands of the drug enforcement unit (DEU) headed by Senior Inspector Jose Valencia were Hapid Dapat, 20; Samer Mayo, 18; Noel Santos, 30; Jovencio Soner, 46; Johnny Bugis, 18; and Dato Bandara, 18; all natives of Zamboanga City residing along Zabarte Road, Caloocan City.
Dapat’s group was collared at around 12:30 a.m. shortly after one of them handed some 120 grams of shabu to a police poseur-buyer at Celina Homes 1 along Zabarte Road.
Valencia, in his report to city police chief Senior Superintendent Benjardi Mantele, said the group of Dapat had been placed under surveillance for nearly a month on information fed by concerned citizens on the suspects’ drug peddling.
The DEU said the suspects tried to resist but proved no match to anti-narcotics agents who outnumbered them.
Three hours later, Valencia’s men conducted another buy-bust in Bagong Barrio where they arrested Eduardo Lopez, 41; Alvin Madriano, 25; and wife Lourdes, 33; Josephine dela Cruz, 34; Rosnel Abary, 32; and Arvin Abrazado, 29.
The suspects, according to reports, yielded some 30 grams of shabu in plastic sachets. They did not resist arrest when they were caught. – Jerry Botial