BACOLOD City – Suspected shabu valued at around P2,040,000 was recovered from a woman at Zone 3 in Barangay Looc, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.
The suspected illegal drugs contained in two big plastic sachets and six small plastic sachets weighed about 300 grams, police said.
They were confiscated from the 52-year-old Judith Banatanto, resident of Barangay Looc.
Banatanto was arrested after personnel from the City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) and the Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit raided her house on the strength of a search warrant that Judge Gerardo Pagiuo Jr. of the Regional Trial Court in Dumaguete City issued.
The raid was conducted around 7:20 a.m. on Dec. 27, a police report showed.
Aside from the suspected shabu, drug paraphernalia and cash believed to be proceeds from illegal drug transactions were recovered in Banatanto’s house.
Banatanto, detained in the lockup cell of the Dumaguete police station, faces charges for violation of Republic Act (RA) 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
The day after Banatanto’s arrest, the Dumaguete City police caught another drug suspect in Purok Tangkong, Barangay Tabuc-tubig.
The CDEU-led operation around 11:28 a.m. on Dec. 28 netted the 35-year-old resident Antonio Torres.
Torres was also arrested after the CDEU raided his house on the strength of a search warrant issued by Judge Pagiuo.
Recovered from Torres were three plastic sachets of suspected drugs weighing about 25 grams valued at around P170,000.
Drug paraphernalia, P18,000 cash believed to be proceeds from drug transactions and a .9mm-caliber gun loaded with eight live bullets were also seized.
Torres was detained in the Dumaguete City police station lockup facility, facing charges for violation of RA 9165./PN
