Fruit Vendor Nabbed in P782K Drug Sting

By Jennifer P. Rendon

A fruit vendor was arrested in an anti-drug operation in Iloilo province on the afternoon of Feb. 15.

Police identified the suspect as alias Jovenel, 42, a resident of F. Pamares Street, Poblacion Ilaud, Passi City.

He was apprehended in Barangay Abaca, San Enrique town, after selling a sachet of suspected shabu worth PHP6,000 to a police poseur buyer.

The operation was conducted by the Iloilo Police Provincial Office-Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (IPPO-PDEU) Team 2, along with personnel from the IPPO Provincial Intelligence Unit, IPPO-PDEU Team 3, and San Enrique Municipal Police Station.

Maj. Dadje Delima, IPPO-PDEU chief, said authorities seized around 115 grams of shabu with a standard drug price of PHP782,000.

It was not immediately known where Jovenel sourced the illegal drugs, but reports indicate he operated in Passi City and nearby towns.

He is currently detained and will be charged with violating Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.