BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO and DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
ILOILO City – In two months of anti-drug operations, various police units across Western Visayas confiscated 7,121,204 grams of shabu with a combined value of P48.4 million, according to the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6).
The most recent shabu haul was yesterday in Purok Datiles, Barangay Handumanan, Bacolod City – 2.4 kilos and with a street value of P24 million.
This latest confiscation pushed the value of shabu seized this September to P41.9 million – way higher than August’s confiscations valued at P6.7 million.
The shabu was recovered from three suspects – 23-year-olds Carline Lunares and Nester Brinosa both of Purok Datiles, and 30-year-old Richard Lunares of Purok Marapara, Barangay Bata, Bacolod City.
According to Police Lieutenant Thurslie Castillo of the PRO-6’s Regional Drug Enforcement Unit (RDEU), Carline was a high-value target.
Castillo described the suspect as a “bodegera” or warehousewoman from whom drug pushers allegedly sourced their supply.
The three suspects were placed under surveillance for three weeks prior to being busted yesterday at around 9 a.m.
The RDEU was backed up by Philippine National Police’s Drug Enforcement Group and Bacolod City Police Office’s City Drug Enforcement Team.
Recovered during the operation were a transparent heat-sealed plastic sachet containing suspected shabu; 48 transparent plastic sachets containing suspected shabu; a black sling bag; a brown backpack; a black Nokia cellphone and the P11,000 buy-bust money.
The suspects were taken to Bacolod City Police Station 10. They face charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
It was on Tuesday when they were able to seal a transaction with Richard, who served as Carline’s drug runner, Castillo said.
Brigadier General Rene Pamuspusan, Western Visayas police director, commended his men for this latest achievement in the war against illegal drugs.
“We will not stop until all of them are behind bars,” said Pamuspusan.
The PRO-6 is targeting 711 high-value suspects across the region in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency./PN
