ILOILO City – An ex-convict from Bacolod City was arrested following a drug buy-bust operation in Metropolis Subdivision, Barangay Bito-on, Jaro district here around 9:25 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 18.
Regional Drug Enforcement Unit 6 (RDEU-6) identified the suspect as 33-year-old Carlo Glenn Hortinela, a resident of Purok Alalahoy, Barangay Banago, Bacolod City. He was tagged as a high-value individual.
An undercover police officer bought from Hortinela P17,000 worth of suspected shabu.
Police seized a total of 125 grams of suspected shabu valued at around P850,000 and drug paraphernalia.
According to Police Lieutenant Glenn Soliman of RDEU-6, Hortinela was under surveillance for more than two weeks following the information they received that he was engaged in an illegal drug trade.
“We immediately conducted an operation kay may nabaton kami nga information nga mabagsak sya sang item sa Iloilo” he said.
Soliman added that the suspect admitted that he had already delivered shabu in Panay Island twice.
It was also learned that the suspect had just been released from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Aklan province for illegal drug case.
“Six years sya napriso sa Aklan sa drugs kag sang August lang this year na-release through plea bargaining agreement kag nagbalik baligya naman,” Soliman said.
Intelligence report further showed that the suspect had a contact inmate in New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City who was his source of information on drug trading.
“Kun ara na ang items kay madam nga taga-Banago City man, kuhaon nya na ang items kag i-dispose nya sa Iloilo kag sa iban nga probinsya. May upod sya nga priso sa Aklan kag ara na subong sa New Bilibid Prison nga amo ang contact,” Soliman said
Hortinela was detained at the Jaro Police Station. He will be charged for violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002./PN
