Drug den bust nets 11 persons, P408K worth of ‘shabu’ seized

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Eleven persons were arrested in a police anti-illegal drug operation on a suspected drug den in Jaro, Iloilo City afternoon of April 30.

Police identified the suspects as Roberto Latoza, 26; Angelo Galia,18, and a 16-year-old boy, all from Barangay San Isidro, Jaro, Iloilo City.

Also arrested were Leopoldo Ubaldo, 35, a tricycle driver from Barangay Airport, Mandurriao, Iloilo City; Marken dela Peña, 20, of Barangay Desamparados, Jaro; Elmer Lucot, 39, of Barangay Lopez Jaena, Jaro; Asher Sanchez, 19, and Armando Diaz, 29, both of Barangay Alalasan, Lapuz; Felipe Yanco, 36, of Victorias City, Negros Occidental; Carlos Bitonga, 38, of San Isidro Village, Jaro; and Roel Raymundo, 37, of Rizal, Lapuz.

Members of the Iloilo City Police Office-City Drug Enforcement Unit (ICPO-CDEU), together with the Iloilo City Police Station 3, led the buy-bust operation on a rented house in Barangay Desamparados, with Latoza as the main target.

Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Benitez, Jr., CDEU chief, said Latoza, a construction wonder, is a Tokhang surrenderer.

He allegedly sold a sachet of suspected shabu for P7,000.

Following his arrest, police seized 10 more sachets of suspected shabu, three weighing scales, one mobile phone, and shabu paraphernalia.

Benitez said the seized drugs weighed around 60 grams and has a standard drug price value of P408,000.

While Latoza was the subject of the operation, Raymundo is the alleged maintainer of the drug den.

“Usually, they gather in that area when there’s new stock coming in,” Benitez said.

Drug sources in Metro Manila refrain from sending big volumes of drugs to deflect heavy losses once their distributors get busted.

The other nine arrested suspects are either alleged street-level pushers or users.

Benitez said Latoza will be charged for violation of Sections 5, 6, and 11, Article II of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).

The other arrested suspects will be charged for visiting a drug den.

On April 17, five persons were also arrested at an alleged drug den in Barangay Buhang, Jaro.

On January 27, ICPO-CDEU and ICPS5 arrested 32 persons and confiscated P918,000 worth of suspected shabu at a drug den in Barangay Bakhaw, Mandurriao.

On January 9, nine persons were arrested with P1.3 million worth of illegal drugs seized in an anti-narcotics operation at a drug den in Jaro district.