Cops probe link of suspects in P13.6-M drug haul to ‘narco-group’

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

 

BACOLOD City – The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) here is validating if the two suspects arrested in the P13.6-million drug haul in Bago City last Thursday are connected to the Divinagracia drug group.

Police Lieutenant Abegael Donasco, Nocppo’s information officer, told Daily Guardian yesterday that they are investigating the information considering that Radney Pidol, 38; and Raphy Pradilla, 28 are both residents of Barangay 2 in Silay City.

The leader of the Divinagracia drug group is from Silay City, according to the police, and the said group is only one of the three suspected drug groups which is still active in the province, Donasco said.

“It is one of the angles we are investigating, as we could not conclude anything for now,” she added.

Donasco said they are also probing if the two suspects have links with other drug groups, although they are focusing on the Divinagracia drug group.

Pidol and Pradilla, who were identified as street level individuals and alleged drug runners, were arrested by the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit (RDEU) – 6 and Bago City Police Station in a buy-bust at Barangay Lag-asan.

Donasco said police have no lead yet on the whereabouts of their companion, Rogie Senatin of Barangay Lantad, Silay City, who served as their lookout, but was able to escape by driving his motorcycle towards the sugarcane plantation.

Donasco said drug charges are being readied against Pidol and Pradilla.

 

IMPACT

The recent drug haul was the biggest in the province this year, according to Donasco.

Donasco said they are hoping that more accomplishments on illegal drugs can help the police neutralize the three remaining drug groups in the province.

“From six, we only have three this year, based on the data from the Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU),” she added.

Donasco said there were some criteria that PDEU is looking at in order to remove or add a drug group in their listing.

Meanwhile, Police Brigadier General Rolando Miranda, director of Police Regional Office (PRO)-6, who arrived at the area where the buy-bust took place, lauded the accomplishment of the said police units.

Miranda said the operation implied that they are gaining ground because the community also helped the police in their anti-illegal drug campaign by giving information about the illegal activity.

He, however, noted that it does not imply that there is more supply of illegal drugs in the province.

The PRO-6 director said it just so happened that they were able to prevent the supposed proliferation of the contraband to various areas in the province, including this city.