Oton government employee arrested in PHP 2.1 million drug sting

By Jennifer P. Rendon

An employee of the local government of Oton, Iloilo was arrested following a police anti-narcotics operation on the afternoon of March 13.

The suspect, identified by his alias Scobe, 46, a personnel of the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office, was apprehended in a buy-bust operation at Barangay Buray, Oton, where he also resides.

Members of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office-Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit made the arrest after the suspect allegedly sold a sachet of suspected shabu worth PHP 13,000.

He was further found to be in possession of six more sachets of shabu and several nondrug items.

Maj. Dadje Delima, IPPO-PDEU chief, said the confiscated illegal drugs weighed approximately 320 grams with an estimated standard drug price of PHP 2,176,000.

Delima described Scobe as a “slippery” drug personality.

Prior to Friday’s operation, police made three attempts to arrest him but failed.

Scobe allegedly used a dead drop technique when transacting with buyers, devising a pre-arranged, hidden location to leave the illegal drugs, allowing him and his clients to avoid meeting in person.

A dead drop is a covert method of exchanging goods without direct contact between parties, commonly used in drug trafficking to reduce the risk of detection during face-to-face transactions.

Payment was made through the mobile payment service GCash.

The suspect allegedly sourced his supply from Metro Manila and distributed the drugs in Oton and nearby areas.

Scobe is now detained and will be charged with violation of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, which penalizes the sale, possession, and distribution of illegal drugs and carries penalties ranging from life imprisonment to death depending on the quantity involved.