BACOLOD CITY – Four suspected drug personalities were arrested while PHP730,000 worth of “shabu” (crystal meth) were confiscated in three separate operations in Negros Occidental on Thursday, police reports said.
In Bacolod City, Roel Cabayaran was arrested around 12:01 a.m. in a buy-bust at Purok Gonzaga, Barangay Taculing conducted by operatives of the City Drug Enforcement Unit.
Cabayaran, who sold PHP1,000 to a poseur-buyer, yielded eight sachets of shabu with an estimated value of PHP240,000.
Eight hours later in Silay City, joint operatives served a search warrant to Melvin Pancho at Carmela Valley Homes Subdivision in Barangay Guinhalaran, leading to the recovery of 10 sachets of the prohibited substance, valued at PHP340,000.
Pancho, 28, a high-value target, was arrested at about 8 a.m. by a team of Silay City Police Drug Enforcement Unit headed by Supt. Noel Polines with personnel of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Intelligence and Provincial Drug Enforcement Units.
The search warrant was issued by Executive Judge Ana Celeste Bernad of Branch 69 of the Regional Trial Court in Silay City.
In Kabankalan City, police operatives nabbed two suspects, Alvie Taco and Barthily Boaquiña, in a buy-bust at AHS Pension House in Barangay 9 at around 11 a.m. on the same day.
Taco’s companion, Boaquiña, 27, a driver, has reportedly been convicted of an illegal drug case.
Operatives, led by Supt. Jonel Guadalupe, officer-in-charge of the Kabankalan City police, seized six sachets of the prohibited substance worth PHP150,000 from Taco, 35, laborer, who is out on bail for a drug case.
During the buy-bust, Taco sold shabu worth PHP1,500 to a poseur-buyer. He attempted to escape when he sensed he was dealing with an undercover police officer. (Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA)
