BACOLOD CITY — A total of 14 suspects were arrested in various anti-drug operations in Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City, in the past three days, police reports showed.
At about 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Karl Ray Benito, 25, was apprehended in a buy-bust along Rizal St., Barangay 3 in San Carlos City.
The suspect yielded two big and one smaller sachets of suspected “shabu” (crystal meth) worth PHP96,000, according to estimates made by the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB).
The police caught Benitor after he sold PHP1,000 worth of the prohibited substance to an undercover police.
In neighboring Calatrava town, Dexter Cano, a high-value target belonging to the Russel Bacus drug group, was arrested in Barangay San Benito at about 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The drug group is notorious in northern Negros.
Cano, 22, yielded three sachets of suspected shabu, valued at PHP47,000, following a buy-bust conducted by the Calatrava municipal police’s Drug Enforcement Unit, led by Senior Insp. Roger Pama.
The suspect’s caliber .45 pistol with two live ammunition was also seized by the operatives.
In Kabankalan City, six persons were apprehended in a buy-bust at Coloso St., Barangay 6 at about 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
Police identified the suspects as Jireh Boaquiña, 23; Dennis Michael Berzuela, 25; Michael Pame, 32; Carina Lanang, 33; Joebert de la Cruz, 36; and Rubelyn Abanero, 39.
Police records showed that Boaquiña has availed of a plea bargain for an illegal drug case while the other five are considered street-level targets.
The suspects, detained at the Kabankalan city police station, yielded six big sachets and six smaller sachets of suspected shabu, worth PHP360,000.
The operation was conducted by joint operatives of the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit, led by Senior Insp. Mark Dado, and Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit, headed by Chief Insp. Rogelio Pacificar Jr., in coordination with the Kabankalan city police, under officer-in-charge, Supt. Jonel Guadalupe.
In Bacolod City, five persons were arrested in a buy-bust conducted by the City Drug Enforcement Unit in Barangay 19 at about 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
One of the suspects, Hervon Aguilar, attempted to fire at the operatives using a caliber .38 revolver, prompting the team to shoot the suspect on his right leg. Aguilar, 40, was treated at a hospital.
The four other suspects were identified as Johnson Salazar, 38; Wennie Casas, 32; Vengie Bernasol, 31; and Verginia Bernasol, 52.
The operatives recovered 12 sachets of suspected shabu with an estimated value of PHP420,000.
Also seized from them were the PHP1,000 marked money and a caliber .38 revolver with six live ammunition, among others.
At about 2:30 a.m. on Thursday, Jelly Supresencia was arrested by operatives of Police Station 4 in a buy-bust in Purok Tinago, Barangay 27 in Bacolod City.
The suspect sold a sachet of suspected shabu worth PHP500 to an undercover police officer and yielded eight more small sachets valued at PHP15,000. (Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA)
