Couple, two truck drivers nabbed with P220-K worth of ‘shabu’

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Four persons, including a couple, were busted with a total of P220,000 worth of suspected shabu in separate anti-illegal drug operations here and in Negros Occidental in the past two days.

In La Castellana town, truck drivers Jestoni Fajardo, 30, of Barangay Mansalanao, and Elmer Gale, 41, of Barangay Robles, were arrested last Wednesday at Barangay Robles for possessing 15 grams of suspected shabu worth P120,000.

Police Major Nelson Amsewin Jr., town police chief, said that both suspects are newly-identified individuals who were subjected to a two-week monitoring.

Also recovered by police was an improvised tooter, an improvised straw scoop, the P500 marked money, P1,000, an improvised PVC pipe tube, and two lighters.

Amsewin said they have yet to check the background of the suspects, pending the investigation.

He said the suspects have undergone inquest proceedings yesterday for violation of Sections 5 (sale of dangerous drugs), 11 (illegal possession of dangerous drugs), and 12 (illegal possession of drug paraphernalia).

The following day, John Paul Claro, 27, of Barangay 29 here, and his live-in partner Clarice Jose, 30, of Cadiz City were arrested at their rented house in Barangay 35 here.

Police Major Joery Puerto, head of Police Station 5, said the couple allegedly yielded 15 grams of suspected shabu worth P100,000 yesterday.

Puerto said that Claro’s father was previously arrested for a drug offense.

Puerto said the couple can allegedly dispose of 200 grams of suspected shabu per week, based on their information.

He said they already have information about the source of the illegal drugs but refused to elaborate, pending further investigation.

Police also confiscated from them the P500 marked money and P150.

He said that Claro will be charged for the sale and illegal possession of dangerous drugs, while Jose will be facing charges for illegal possession of dangerous drugs.

Meanwhile, five other persons were also arrested in separate buy-bust operations in the province, which yielded P122,318 worth of suspected shabu.

The operations were conducted in the cities of Silay, Cadiz, Himamaylan, and Victorias, and the town of Hinigaran from June 26 to 28.