P1.1-M ‘shabu’ seized in two drug stings

By Glazyl Masculino

BACOLOD City – Four days after greeting the New Year, police here scored their first big accomplishment with the seizure of P1,100,800 worth of suspected shabu from three persons in separate buy-bust operations here on January 5 and 6.

Last Saturday, a couple was arrested after police confiscated from them 86 grams of suspected shabu worth P584,800 in Barangay Granada.

Zaldy Tarug and his live-in partner Jessa Quillan allegedly yielded 21 sachets of suspected shabu, the P500 marked money, P120, lighter, and an improvised tooter, according to the police.

Major Joery Puerto, head of Police Station 5, said that Tarug is a high value individual, while Quillan is a street level individual.

Puerto said that Tarug was arrested by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in 2015 and was released from jail in 2021, while Quillan was arrested also for a drug offense in 2021 and was released the following year.

Both have availed a plea bargaining agreement, according to Puerto.

He said the couple has been monitored since November 2023, but the operation was launched last week after they conducted another monitoring during the last week of December.

He said that Tarug will be charged for sale and illegal possession of dangerous drugs, while Quillan will be facing charges for illegal possession of drug paraphernalia.

Meanwhile, about 76 grams of suspected shabu worth P516,000 were confiscated by police at Purok Neptune, Barangay Singcang-Airport here last Friday.

However, the subject of the operation identified as Romeo Val Pagaduan managed to escape, while his live-in partner Lizel Flores, 40, of the said village, was arrested.

Captain Melvin Mercado, head of Police Station 8, said that Pagaduan fled after sensing the presence of police operatives in the area. “Kadasig sa iya kay kabalo siya sang pasikot-sikot sa lugar,” he added.

Mercado said the operation was conducted after they received information about the alleged illegal activity of the couple in the area.

He said they are checking the background of the suspects if they have previous cases.

The operation was led by the Police Drug Enforcement Group Special Operations Unit (PDEG SOU) – 6.