Two persons yield P312,800 ‘shabu’

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Two persons, including an alleged member of a drug group, were arrested in separate buy-bust operations in Negros Occidental this week.

In Kabankalan City, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Negros Occidental arrested Crizza Joy Javellana, 33, of Barangay Binicuil last Monday.

She is an alleged high value individual and an alleged member of a drug group, according to PDEA.

Authorities confiscated from her 32 grams of suspected shabu worth P217,600, an improvised plastic straw, the P500 marked money, and other valuables.

On November 1, a painter was arrested in Barangay E. Lopez, Silay City, with the seizure of 14 grams of suspected shabu worth P95,200.

Police identified the suspect as Noel Tobongbanua, 40, of the said village.

Major Rhea Sarah Villanueva, officer-in-charge of Silay City Police Station, said the suspect was arrested for a drug offense in 2019 but was later released through plea bargaining.

Villanueva said that police monitored him again and discovered that he allegedly returned to engaging in illegal drug activity.

The suspect was tagged by police as a street level individual.

Police also recovered from him a disassembled .38 caliber revolver, and the P1,800 marked money.