[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’DRUG DEALS IN HOTELS | Traffickers find new way to dodge cops’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY RESEL JOY TIANERO
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=”]
Friday, April 7, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
ILOILO City – Privacy primarily offered in hotels, motels and similar business establishments make them at risk of becoming illegal drug havens, according to the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO).
Away from the prying eyes of the police, drug traffickers believe their illegal activities won’t be discovered, said Senior Inspector Shella Mae Sangrines, city police spokesperson.
The ICPO is seeking a meeting with the officials of hotels and similar establishments following a buy-bust operation at a hotel on Quezon Street, Barangay Sampaguita, City Proper.
An undercover police officer was able to buy a sachet of shabu from six drug pushing suspects for P1,100 on Sunday.
As policemen step up antidrug operations following the relaunching of the Philippine National Police’s Oplan Double Barrel, drug traffickers are finding new ways to continue operating unhampered.
“Daw medyo gaamat-amat na subong trending ginagamit sa (drug) transactions mga hotels,” said Sangrines.
But there was no date set yet for the meeting with the managements of hotels and similar establishments, she said.
ICPO also planned to have a security meeting with security guards and staff of these businesses.
Senior Superintendent Remus Zacharias Canieso, city police director, was also interested get inputs from them, said Sangrines.
Sunday’s buy-bust was not the first time the police conducted an antidrug operation in a hotel or similar establishment in this city. On Sept. 4, 2015 a drug pushing suspect from Pasay City, Metro Manila was arrested in a buy-bust operation at a pension house in La Paz district.
Five big sachets of suspected shabu worth P150,000 were recovered from Marian Panganiban, 53, by the city anti-illegal drugs special operations task group.
Authorities said the suspect lodging houses, hotels, and pension houses for her transactions.
In January 2013, operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region 6 arrested a drug suspect at a hotel on Rizal Street, City Proper.
Some 54.21 grams of suspected shabu with a market value estimated at P200,000 were seized from suspect Pet John Declar of Barotac Viejo, Iloilo.
From the hotel on Quezon Street last Sunday, the following drug suspects were taken to Police Station 1 around 5:45 p.m.:
* Mai Grace Benares, 39, of Bacolod City
* Olime Dela Cruz, 33, of Fuentes Street, Iloilo City
* Vinter Bermejo, 40, of Bago City
* Clarence Gilroy, 26, of Bacolod City
* Joemar Montaño, 23, of Barangay Boulevard, Molo, Iloilo City
* Jorge Bacuyani, 27, of Buenavista, Guimaras.
The six face charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
