Editor, 3 others fall in QC drug sting
Amagazine editor and three of her alleged companions will welcome the new year behind bars after police seized from them R1 million worth of party drugs in a drug sting in Quezon City, Sunday morning.
Quezon City Police Director Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar presented to media yesterday Nina Recio, 27, a men’s magazine editor; Michael Carag, 22; Sarah Sibayan, 25; and Dianne Estrella, 27.
Personnel from the QCPD Drug Enforcement Unit, led by Chief Insp. Ferdinand Mendoza; the Kamuning Police Station (PS-10), and Philippine Drug Enforcement AgencyNational Capital Region Office conducted the buy-bust operation against the four.
According to Mendoza, the drug suspects have been under surveillance for at least a month after they learned of their illegal activities.
When they were able to establish contact with Recio, anti-drug operatives immediately carried out the sting at around 7:45 a.m. Sunday in front of a Chinese restaurant along Timog Avenue.
Upon receiving the R100,000 marked money from the poseur-buyer, responding officers swiftly collared the four who were all inside a white car.
Operatives confiscated 20 sachets containing 30 grams of cocaine, with an estimated street value of R300,000; 200 pieces of ecstacy tablets worth R500,000, four bottles of liquid ecstacy, amounting to R200,000; and some cash who police said were their earnings from selling illegal drugs.
Eleazar said the sale of party drugs always goes up ahead of the New Year’s celebration.
National Capital Region Police Office chief Oscar Albayalde, who was also present during the press briefing, revealed that Recio used to be the livein partner of Raul Cisneros who was arrested in a condominium in Taguig City last September 2016 during a series of buy-bust operations.
Cisneros allegedly supplied party drugs among high-end bars in Taguig and Makati. Police seized from him at least 1,100 candy-like ecstacy pills.