P2.3-M worth of ‘shabu’ seized

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents seized P2,325,600 worth of suspected shabu in separate buy-bust operations here and in Negros Occidental this week.

The bulk of the drug recovery was reported here in Barangay Alijis yesterday, with the seizure of 205 grams of suspected shabu worth P1,394,000.

Police Major Joery Puerto, head of Police Station 8, said Ramon Vertudes, 31, of Alijis was arrested after another suspected peddler who was collared in June 2022 told them that their supply allegedly came from Vertudes.

Puerto said Vertudes’s name was floated since last year, but they just recently focused their monitoring on him which resulted in his apprehension.

“Ga renew daw siya every 2 weeks, which means pag makabayad siya, makuha naman siya item,” Puerto said, adding that the seized illegal drugs was part of his supply last week.

Puerto said that Vertudes told the police that he has a contact at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City, who allegedly tells him where to get and to whom the illegal drugs should be taken.

“Pero iya source ari man lang diri sa Bacolod,” he added.

Vertudes is a hog raiser and considered a high value individual.

Puerto said that it was also Vertudes who told them about his alleged drug runner, who was supposed to deliver illegal drugs to Barangay Singcang-Airport here that day.

A follow-up operation was then conducted leading to the arrest of John Mark Melana, 21, of Barangay Mansilingan here.

Puerto said that Melana is a street level target, and allegedly tasked to deliver the illegal drugs to their clients.

Police confiscated from Melana 110 grams of suspected shabu worth P748,000.

Both are detained at Police Station 8 for the filing of charges for sale and illegal possession of dangerous drugs.

Meanwhile, PDEA-6 and Police Station 2 dismantled an alleged drug den in Barangay 10 here last Wednesday, arresting four individuals.

The buy-bust operation resulted in the confiscation of seven sachets of suspected shabu weighing 15 grams worth P102,000, an improvised glass tooter, lighters, a pair of scissors, and the marked money.

In Kabankalan City, five persons were also arrested after PDEA raided an alleged drug den in Barangay 6 last Sunday.

The drug sting resulted in the confiscation of eight sachets of suspected shabu weighing 12 grams worth P81,600, an improvised glass tooter, lighters, and the marked money.