7 nabbed for P2.1-M worth of ‘shabu’

By: Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – An estimated P2,115,000 worth of suspected shabu were seized from seven persons in two separate buy-bust operations here and in Silay City, Negros Occidental on Sept 16, 2019.

Personnel of the City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) arrested Norman De Asis, and Sandro Bantad at Barangay 27 here, which resulted in the confiscation of P1.8 million worth of suspected shabu.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Pico, public information officer of Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), said police operatives raided De Asis’ house around 10:30 p.m., and also caught Bantad who was allegedly about to buy drugs from the subject during the operation.

Pico said De Asis was previously jailed for the same offense, but he was released last year following the dismissal of his case after the witness failed to appear in the court hearing.

However, he immediately returned to the illegal drug trade after he got out of jail, Pico said, adding that De Asis would usually distribute the items in various areas here.

De Asis is considered a high value target, following the confiscation of about 120 grams of suspected shabu from him and his companion. Police also recovered from them the P1,000 marked money.

Meanwhile, the two suspects, who are detained at Police Station 4, denied the accusations against them. Both will be facing drug charges.

In Silay City, Rojo Templado, 33; Jay-r Arpal, 29; Lorene Canson, 51; Romel Delpinaga, 42; and Michael Gaas, 42, all residents of Barangay Lantad were arrested at the said village, for the alleged seizure of about 21 grams of suspected shabu worth P315,000, drug paraphernalia, the P500 marked money, P6,000 boodle money, and P470 cash.

Templado and Arpal are target-listed drug personalities while Canson is a high value target, police records showed. Both Delpinaga and Gaas are newly identified drug personalities.

All five suspects are detained at Silay City Police Station.