P704,480 worth of ‘shabu’ seized

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Four persons were arrested while P704,480 worth of ‘shabu’ were seized here and in Negros Occidental last Monday.

In Bacolod, a former drug offender was apprehended in a buy-bust operation at Purok Kabulakan II, Barangay Singcang-Airport.

Police Major Joery Puerto, head of Police Station 5, identified the suspect as Begie Soreño, 50, of the said village.

Confiscated were 88 grams of suspected shabu worth P598,400, and the P2,000 marked money.

Puerto said that Soreño was previously jailed for a drug offense and was released in 2021 after serving his sentence.

However, based on the monitoring of police, the suspect allegedly returned to engaging in the illegal drug trade after he was released from jail, according to Puerto, who was previously assigned as head of Police Station 8.

Puerto said the suspect was included in the drugs watchlist of Police Station 8 and is considered a high-value individual.

He said that someone was just sending the contraband to the suspect here, upon the approval of his alleged contact at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa.

Meanwhile, three other persons were also arrested in separate drug bust operations in the province, particularly in the cities of Talisay and Victorias, and the town of Ilog.

A total of P106,080 worth of suspected shabu were seized in the said areas.