Farmer, Gov’t Employee Arrested in Drug Busts

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY – A farmer and a government employee were arrested in separate buy-bust operations in Negros Occidental on Jan. 6 and 8.

In Kabankalan City, police seized 30 grams of suspected shabu valued at PHP 204,000 from a 33-year-old farmer identified only as “Bro” during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Bantayan last Wednesday.

The suspect allegedly sold a sachet of shabu to an undercover police agent for PHP 1,000.

Authorities also confiscated from the suspect an improvised tooter, two lighters, an improvised shotgun (sulpak) loaded with one round of ammunition for a 12-gauge shotgun, and a .9mm caliber revolver (black widow) loaded with five rounds of ammunition.

Police Capt. Joelan Vinson, deputy chief of the Kabankalan City Police Station, said the suspect was allegedly swapping illegal drugs for firearms.

He added that the suspect was classified as a street-level individual and had been under police monitoring due to his alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade.

Meanwhile, in Sagay City, a 45-year-old government employee assigned to the General Services Office of the city government was arrested with 4.6 grams of suspected shabu valued at PHP 31,280 during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Rizal on Jan. 6.

Police Lt. Col. Alvimar Flores, head of the Sagay City Police, said the suspect was on the barangay’s watchlist.

Flores noted that despite several warnings, the suspect continued his alleged illegal activity.

He said the city government will conduct a separate investigation into the matter.