ZAMBOANGA CITY–Anti-narcotics operatives dismantled a drug den and arrested five people, including three high-value drug personalities, in a buy-bust operation in this city, an official said Thursday.
Laurefel Gabales, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-9 (PDEA) regional director, said they seized 15 grams of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride, commonly known as shabu, packed in six plastic sachets worth PHP102,000.
Gabales identified the three high-value drug personalities as Erik Jan Fernandez, Christle Mae Antonio, and Kimberly Garcia, who were tagged as the maintainers of the drug den.
Gabales identified the two other arrested suspects as Russel Gonzalez and Erika Gaganacruz.
He said the suspects were arrested after they sold a plastic sachet of shabu to an undercover government agent during the buy-bust operation around 11:20 a.m. Tuesday on Sun Street, Barangay Tumaga, this city. The buy-bust operation was carried out by a joint PDEA and police team.
Confiscated from the suspects’ possession were the PHP300 marked money consisting of three PHP100 bills, PHP886 cash of different denominations, and other illegal drug paraphernalia, the PDEA-12 chief said .
They were charged for violation of Sections 5, 6, 7, 11 and 12, Article II of Republic Act 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. (Teofilo Garcia, Jr/PNA)
