By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – An estimated P13,919,600 worth of suspected shabu were seized from three persons, including two siblings in separate buy-bust operations here and in Negros Occidental over the weekend.
The bulk of the drug recovery was reported in Barangay Lantad, Silay City yesterday, which resulted in the arrest of Angie Dumdumaya, 30, and her sister, Angielyn, 25, both residents of the said village.
The Dumdumayas allegedly sold a sachet of suspected shabu to a police agent for P30,000, according to a report from Police Regional Office (PRO)-6.
Police recovered from the Dumdumaya sisters 2,010 grams of suspected shabu worth P13,668,000.
Police Lieutenant Judesses Catalogo, public information officer of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo), said the two suspects were considered high-value individuals, who were placed under monitoring for a long time.
Catalogo said they could not establish yet if the two sisters have links to the two women from Luzon who were arrested for possessing 1,050 grams of suspected shabu worth P7,140,000 during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Guinhalaran, Silay City, in July.
But Catalogo said they do not discount the possibility that the recovered illegal drugs might be utilized for the Masskara Festival here in October.
“Probably tigana na nila sa MassKara. Mangita man sila favorable time makakuha stocks in advance because they know na pag may festival, damo man police gabantay,” Catalogo said.
Catalogo said that drug suspects were attracted to the said festivity since there is an influx of people wanting to join the revelry, considering that the MassKara Festival was suspended for two years due to the pandemic.
Despite the huge drug haul, Catalogo said they were able to prevent the possible distribution of the contraband here.
Catalogo said they will soon have a meeting regarding the security preparations for the festival here.
Meanwhile, Police Brigadier General Leo Francisco, acting director of PRO-6, lauded the operatives of the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit -6 (RPDEU), and Silay City Police Station for the successful arrest of the two alleged drug peddlers.
“Congratulations on this huge accomplishment in our campaign against illegal drugs in the region,’ Francisco said, as he urged the police to investigate deeper to know if these two have cohorts in their illegal activities.
He also warned those who still engage in illegal drug activities, to better stop and submit themselves to authorities, or else they will certainly be the next subject for police operations.
In Bacolod, the City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) also arrested last Saturday Harper Hojilla, 24, of Barangay 29 here. He is a street-level individual, according to the police.
Police confiscated from him 37 grams of suspected shabu worth P251,600, the P1,000 marked money, and P200. Hojilla is detained at Police Station 1.
