By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – Police seized around two kilos of suspected shabu worth P13.6 million in a buy-bust operation at Sitio Tul-ang, Barangay Rizal, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental yesterday.
Lieutenant Ruby Aurita, public information officer of San Carlos City Police Station, identified the subject of the operation as Rex Baron, 49, of Barangay Rizal.
The operation happened after San Carlos City was recently tagged as an alleged source of illegal drugs by two drug suspects who were arrested here earlier.
But the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) has yet to confirm the allegations.
For Aurita, it might just be a “diversionary tactic” of the drug suspects to lead the police to a different area.
“Patalang lang nila para lain ang matagaan focus nga area sang police sa monitoring,” she said.
Aurita said that Baron is an alleged caretaker or righthand of the city’s top drug personality, who is at large.
“Nakibot gani aton operatiba nga naka transact sila sa iya (Baron) kay ang information was gagamit lang daw ni siya,” Aurita said.
But it turned out that Baron was reportedly entrusted by the top drug personality with their clients in one of the latter’s safe houses in the upland part of the village, Aurita said.
Aurita said that Baron’s name did not even pop up on their list of individuals who are under monitoring for alleged drug peddling.
“Damo ni ila safe houses and nabudlayan kami, kapila na mag attempt ang operatives to capture his boss until nakalagsanay pa pero wala gid nakuha,” Aurita said. However, they believed that Baron’s boss is still in the province.
Aurita said that police recovered the suspected shabu sealed in a Chinese tea bag packaging, which were believed to be sourced from outside the province.
“May possibility halin gid sagwa because of the packaging,” Aurita said. However, she refused to divulge more details as investigation is ongoing.
Aurita said that Baron has no criminal record, but with the huge volume of drugs seized from his possession, he can be considered a newly identified high value individual.
“Medyo tig-a pa gid siya, indi man siya maghambal gid,” Aurita said.
Meanwhile, Aurita said the P10.2 million drug haul from a couple in January 2022 at Barangay Guadalupe could be linked to Baron’s boss.
But Aurita said there’s nothing to worry about the drug situation in the city since their monitoring is ongoing.
“Indi man gid amo na kadako gid, and continuous aton monitoring,” she added.
Baron will be charged for sale and illegal possession of dangerous drugs.
On the other hand, Lieutenant Joven Mogato, head of City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU), said they are checking the possible link of the arrested drug suspects here to Baron, considering that they are tagging San Carlos City as the alleged source of illegal drugs.
For his part, Brigadier General Flynn Dongbo, director of Police Regional Office – 6 (PRO-6) lauded the effort of the operating personnel.
“This accomplishment bespeaks of your commitment and dedication in our campaign against illegal drugs,” Dongbo said.
He also urged the police operatives to investigate deeper to identify the possible cohorts of the subject in his illegal drug activities and take appropriate actions to bring them behind bars.
