Four nabbed with P251,600 worth of ‘shabu’

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Four persons, including three brothers, were arrested in separate buy-bust operations in Negros Occidental last Tuesday.

In Silay City, Catanghal brothers – Angelito, 56, Jerry, 42, and Edsel, 58 – all residents of Barangay Guinhalaran, were busted at their house with 25 grams of suspected shabu worth P170,000.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Mark Anthony Darroca, Silay City police chief, said they received a report two months ago about the alleged engagement of the siblings in the illegal drug trade.

They were placed under monitoring for two weeks before the operation was conducted, he added.

Darroca said the brothers sometimes allegedly allow some of their clients to sniff illegal drugs at their house, making it a drug den.

He said the suspects allegedly sourced the contraband from Barangay Banago here.

Police also recovered from them the P3,100 marked money.

In La Carlota City, Kenneth Balbeso, 27, of Barangay 2 Poblacion was arrested at his house after he allegedly yielded 12 grams of suspected shabu worth P81,600, and the P500 marked money.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Lowell Garinganao, La Carlota City police chief, said that Balbeso is one of their priorities in their drugs watchlist.

Garinganao said the suspect formerly surrendered to the authorities, but upon monitoring, he continued his alleged involvement in illegal drugs.

Garinganao said that Balbeso is a street-level individual, but was recently classified as a high-value individual due to the drug recovery.

Balbeso was monitored by police operatives for two weeks, he added.

Garinganao said the suspect reportedly gets his drug supply in Bacolod.

Drug charges are being readied against the four arrested suspects.