P877K in ‘shabu’ seized in two days

By: Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – The city’s drug enforcement unit and three police stations seized an estimated P877,000 worth of suspected shabu in four separate buy-bust operations here from June 23 to 24.

On June 24, Ramel Mati-ong, 35, and Robert Los Bañes, 25, both residents of Talisay City; and Medjor Dairo, 32, of Barangay Bata were collared at Barangay Banago.

Police recovered from the trio 11 sachets of suspected shabu weighing 40 grams worth P500,000, the P500 marked money, and drug paraphernalia.

Police Major Ruel Culanag, head of Police Station 3, said Mati-ong, who is the target of the operation, is a high value target who allegedly distributes drugs in Talisay City and some areas of Bacolod.

He stays in Bacolod but most of his transactions are in Talisay City, Culanag said.

Culanag said Mati-ong gets his supply from some sources within Negros Occidental, but he refused to reveal their identities. His two companions were allegedly considered as his runners.

All three suspects are detained at Police Station 3.

Over the weekend, Jesus Noel Regalado, 50, and Rodolfo Gavieta Jr., 39, both residents of Rosario Streets, were nabbed at an apartment in Barangay 33, which resulted in the confiscation of 10 sachets of suspected shabu weighing 22 grams worth P275,000, and the P500 marked money.

Lieutenant Colonel Leonardo Borromeo, head of the City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU), said Regalado is the target of the operation being a high value target while Gavieta is a street level target.

Borromeo said Regalado stays in an apartment rented by Gavieta. They both store the contrabands in the apartment, and sometimes do the pot session there, he added.

Borromeo said the suspects were placed under monitoring for months because of their “big drug transactions.”

Both suspects are detained at Police Station 6.

Last Sunday, Fernando Santillana, 47, of Barangay Taculing was arrested at Barangay Singcang-Airport after police seized from his possession three sachets of suspected shabu worth P90,000, and the P500 marked money. He is detained at Police Station 8.

Also arrested that day was Chevy Lance Ibañez, 29, of Barangay Handumanan, a street level target, after he allegedly yielded four sachets of suspected shabu worth P12,000, and the  P100 marked money. He is detained at Police Station 10.