P2M illegal drugs seized in Bacolod raids

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – In less than 24 hours, authorities confiscated at least P2 million worth of shabu in separate drug buy-bust operations in the city.

The first drug buy-bust operation was conducted in SM City Mall at the Reclamation Area, where P1.2 million worth of drugs was seized from a taxi driver. His 4 companions evaded police arrest at 5 pm Tuesday, July 14.

Superintendent Leonardo Angcon, head of the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group of Police Regional Office-VI, identified the suspect as Paterno Lusabia of Purok Nami-nami, Barangay Sum-ag, Bacolod City.

Angcon said that the suspect yielded a box containing two plastic sachets of shabu weighing 200 grams, and the P2,000 buy-bust money when he was apprehended.

His 4 companions, however, escaped after they noticed the police operatives, who tried to run after the suspects but weren’t able to catch them. One of the 4 suspects was identified as Raymond Escutin.

Angcon said their priority is Lusabia because he was the one who was carrying the item.

The suspect is now detained at Police Station 1.

Meanwhile, Lusabia said that another person had claimed the box from the LBC stall and asked him to hold it for him.

Meanwhile, a member of a crime monitoring group yielded P800,000 worth of drugs during a buy-bust operation inside a cellphone shop at Libertad Market, also in this city, on Wednesday morning, July 15.

Police arrested the suspect, identified as Amiro Tantua, 27, the owner of K2 Cellphone Shop at Mabini Street, Barangay 40.

Investigation Agent 1 Rachel Mission of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said that the police recovered 20 sachets of illegal drugs, with an estimated market value of P800,000, and the P2,000 marked money from the suspect.

The suspect, who was placed under surveillance for two weeks, is now detained at Police Station 6, pending the filing of drug charges. – Rappler.com