PDEA-9 agents seize P340,000 worth of shabu from 'elusive' dealer

COTABATO CITY — An elusive shabu dealer, long target of an entrapment operation by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-9, fell in a sting in Aurora town, Zamboanga del Sur on Wednesday, September 4.

Maharani Gadaoni-Tosoc, director of PDEA-9, told reporters on Thursday, September 5 that the suspect, Jeriel Meñoza Arnaiz, is now in their custody, awaiting prosecution.

Officials of units under the Police Regional Office-9 had confirmed that Arnaiz had thrice eluded arrest in separate police-PDEA entrapment operations in the past two years.

Gadaoni-Tosoc said Arnaiz was immediately frisked and cuffed by their agents and non-uniformed personnel of the Aurora Municipal Police Station and the Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Police Office after selling to them P340,000 worth of shabu in a tradeoff in a secluded area in Purok Maharlika, Barangay Romarate in Aurora.

Gadaoni-Tosoc said PDEA-9 is grateful to the Aurora municipal police force and to officials of the Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Police Office for helping them carry out the operation that resulted in the arrest of Arnaiz.