ILOILO – Two suspected members of the Balume drug group were arrested yesterday in Barangay Bolaqueña, Estancia town.
Julie Ericilla, 38, of Barangay Malapaya, Sara and Melvin Cordero, 21, of Barangay San Roque, Estancia were taken to the Estancia police station.
The suspects were arrested around 1:30 p.m. The police carried out a buy-bust operation in a house.
According to Chief Inspector Jonathan Pinuela of Iloilo Police Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit, the suspects sold P30,000 worth of shabu to an undercover police officer.
Policemen recovered one big sachet of suspected shabu, 31 small sachets of suspected shabu valued at P90,000 and 19 bullets for a 45 pistol.
“We have been tailing them for two months,” said Pinuela.
The suspects were former bodyguards of former Sara mayor Neptali Salcedo, added Pinuela.
Ericilla and Cordero face a charge for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of
2002.
The suspected leader of the Balume group was Arturo “Master Pedik” Balume Sr., 62, who was arrested in Hinoba-an, Negros Occidental on Oct. 12, 2017.
The Balume group was believed to be a subgroup of slain drug lord Melvin Odicta Sr. operating in Iloilo province, Iloilo City, Capiz, and Negros Occidental.
Aside from drug trafficking, the Balume group was also linked to gun-for-hire activities./PN
