‘Pusher’ carrying grenade nabbed in SoCot drug bust

GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Joint anti-drug operatives arrested a suspected pusher carrying a grenade in an entrapment operation in a village in Banga town, South Cotabato on Friday afternoon.

Chief Supt. Eliseo Tam Rasco, director of Police Regional Office 12 (Soccsksargen), identified the suspect as Jayrald Pelle Plana, 31, who was tagged as a “notorious pusher” and included on a drug watch list.

He said Plana was nabbed by elements of the Banga municipal police and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 12 during a buy-bust at about 1 p.m. in the vicinity of Purok Reyes, Barangay El Nonok in Banga.

The suspect, he said, sold a sachet of suspected “shabu” (crystal meth) worth PHP500 to a police officer who posed as a buyer.

In a subsequent search, the official said the operating team recovered from Plana’s possession a black sling bag containing a hand grenade and the PHP500 marked money used during the entrapment.

Rasco said investigators are looking into the suspect’s possible involvement in other illegal activities, and are determining his possible cohorts and network in the drug trade in the area.

He added that Plana would be charged with selling and possession of illegal drugs and explosives, by Monday. (Alejandro Saludo/PNA)

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