BACOLOD CITY — Narcotic agents and policemen raided three drug dens and arrested 17 people, including three minors, in Negros Occidental and in Capiz over the weekend.
A team from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Western Visayas (PDEA-6) raided a drug den in Roxas City, Capiz and apprehended five people and recovered 15 grams of suspected shabu on Saturday.
Operatives swooped down on the residence of Olime de la Cruz, identified as a drug den maintainer, at Golden Village Subdivision in Barangay Banica. Arrested with de la Cruz were Richard Manalo, Robert Barredo, Mark de la Cruz, and Jan Michael de la Cruz.
The subject of the operation, Tony de la Cruz, however, evaded arrest, the PDEA-6 report said.
Meanwhile, PDEA-6 acting Regional Director Wardley Getalla confirmed the conduct of the operations in San Carlos City in Negros Occidental in a press conference in Bacolod on Sunday.
PDEA-6, on its Facebook page, reported that its personnel – along with their counterparts in Central Visayas – dismantled two drug dens following the simultaneous buy-bust operations at San Juan Tunga, Barangay 5 in San Carlos City Sunday morning.
A total of 12 people, including three minors, were arrested in the raids conducted in the two drug dens and 26 grams of shabu valued at PHP390,000 were seized, according to a separate report of the San Carlos City Police, where the suspects were detained.
Mora Allera, 49, a resident of San Juan Tunga, Barangay 5; and Rex Romero, 33, of Barangay Makiling, Sagay City, both identified as maintainers of the drug den were arrested. A male minor was apprehended in the same raid.
Also arrested were the three drug den visitors, George Caballero, 45; Michael Dirindigun, 39; and Dante Visen, 33.
Meanwhile, those arrested in the second drug den were the alleged maintainer Efren Fernandez, 43 of Vallehermoso, Negros Oriental. Vallehermoso was arrested along with Abraham Caruscay, 56; Warlo Cañoneo, 38 and Oscar Santillan, 53. Two minors were also apprehended in the raid.
The three minors arrested in the two raids were endorsed to the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. (Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA)