Three nabbed in San Enrique drug bust

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD CITY—Police operatives arrested three individuals, including a minor, in a buy-bust operation that resulted in the seizure of P1,394,000 worth of suspected shabu in Purok 1, Barangay Nayon, San Enrique, Negros Occidental, last Friday.

The suspects were identified as alias “Tol,” 42, of Bago City; alias “Nene,” 22; and a 16-year-old girl, both residents of Valladolid town. The operation led to the confiscation of 205 grams of illegal drugs.

Police tagged both adults as high-value individuals, while the minor was classified as a street-level individual.

Authorities also recovered a digital weighing scale, P12,000 in marked money, an improvised tooter, P1,100 in cash, and other non-drug items.

Police Captain Ryan Christ Inot, team leader of the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit (RPDEU)-6, stated that the male suspect had been under surveillance for a month following community reports about unfamiliar people frequenting his rented house in the area.

Inot revealed that the male suspect was previously arrested for a drug offense in 2015 and was released from jail this year after the case was dismissed.

He had moved to San Enrique town after evading a drug bust in another locality.

Alias “Nene” reportedly brought the teenage girl with her when visiting the suspect’s house.

Inot disclosed that the minor was threatened and forced by the suspect to use illegal drugs.

“The minor felt scared for her life and the safety of her parents, which is why she complied,” he said.

The suspect claimed he only picked up the contraband through a contact he had met while in jail. The minor has been turned over to the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Drug charges are expected to be filed against the three suspects on Tuesday, August 27.

In a separate incident on the same day, authorities seized 30 grams of suspected shabu worth P204,000 in a drug bust at Purok Balunggay, Barangay Buenavista Gibong, Pontevedra town.

Police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) arrested three individuals identified as alias “Bongbong,” 50; alias “JR,” 35; and alias “Jekjek,” 33.

Recovered from the suspects were an improvised glass tooter, a straw scoop, marked money, a pair of scissors, a bundle of plastic sachets, a tube used as an improvised canister, and a weighing scale.