Businessman, Aklan cohort nabbed in Roxas drug bust

By Felipe V. Celino

ROXAS CITY, Capiz — A businessman and his associate from Aklan were arrested Thursday afternoon, March 5, in a drug buy-bust operation conducted by police in Barangay Banica, Roxas City.

Police identified the suspects as Michael Stanley Yrac, a businessman and resident of Sitio Swa, Barangay Poblacion, President Roxas, Capiz, and Ronald Villaruel, 41, of Barangay Poblacion, Balete, Aklan.

Recovered from the suspects were five plastic sachets of suspected shabu weighing 110 grams with an estimated standard drug price of PHP 748,000.

The operation was conducted at about 5:44 p.m. by joint personnel from the Capiz Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit, Capiz Provincial Intelligence Unit, Roxas City police, Capiz Highway Patrol Group and the President Roxas Municipal Police Station.

The two suspects are now under the custody of the Roxas City police for proper disposition.

Police said the two were considered high-value and street-level drug personalities.

Also recovered from the suspects was PHP 21,000 in buy-bust money, including PHP 20,900 in boodle money and one genuine PHP 100 bill marked by police.

Yrac was tagged as one of the suppliers of Stephen Bereber, alias “Papanort,” who was arrested in an earlier drug buy-bust operation.

Bereber was also tagged as a supplier of illegal drugs to a Sangguniang Kabataan chairman in Sara, Iloilo, who was arrested by police for possessing more than PHP 2 million worth of drugs.

Charges for violating Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, will be filed against the suspects.

The law penalizes the sale, delivery and possession of illegal drugs, with heavier penalties imposed on high-volume cases.