7 nabbed in drug den raid in Roxas City

By Felipe V. Celino

ROXAS CITY, Capiz — Seven people were arrested while another escaped when Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Capiz agents raided a suspected drug den on Sunday afternoon, August 10, in Sitio Cassandra, Barangay Punta Tabuc.

The arrested suspects were identified as Christy Mae Andrada, Joshua Gonzaga, Ryan Cabalquinto, Ken Ivan Avelino, Samuel Estardante, John Carl Alvarez, and Leonard De Ocampo.

The suspect who escaped was identified as Reynaldo Aninacion, alleged maintainer of the drug den, who remains at large.

Authorities said the suspects were caught after a police poseur buyer purchased two sachets of suspected shabu from one of them in exchange for PHP1,000 in marked money.

During the operation, operatives recovered eight more sachets of suspected shabu and various drug paraphernalia.

The suspects will face charges for violating Sections 5, 6, 7, 11, and 12 of Article II of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, which carries a penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of up to PHP10 million.

Meanwhile, a high-value target was arrested on the same day in a separate buy-bust operation conducted by the Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU) of the Capiz Police Provincial Office in Barangay Adlawan.

Police identified the suspect only as “Berwin,” 41, a resident of the barangay.

Recovered from him was one sachet of suspected shabu sold to a poseur buyer for PHP10,000 in marked money, along with an additional 15 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of PHP102,000.

The suspect is under the custody of the Roxas City Police Station pending the filing of charges for illegal drug trade.