BACOLOD City – Police in Victorias City, Negros Occidental were unable to catch a drug suspect the first time during a buy-bust operation in Zone 5 Salvacion, Barangay 6 in that city.
They blamed Mitchel Jover Degello, who they arrested for obstruction. It was not immediately clear how Degello derailed the operation at around 4:10 p.m. Wednesday.
The suspect – Rossano Espera Severino, 38 – was the No. 5 “high-value target” in Victorias. He escaped but police caught him when he returned to the village at around 8:10 p.m. that day.
During the buy-bust police seized two sachets of suspected shabu worth around P6,000, drug paraphernalia and a digital weighing scale.
Upon arrest Severino yielded five sachets of the same substance worth an estimated P50,000 and P1,240 cash.
Severino and Degello were detained. They face charges for violation of the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act./PN
