Fireman, 6 others linked to drugs-and-guns trade
Intelligence operatives arrested last Sunday dawn seven members, one an active fireman, of the Arioja Gang, which operates illegal gun running and drug activities in Danao City.
According to Chief Insp. Chuck Barandog, intelligence chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Cebu Province, the group's leader Lendy "Dandy" Arioja escaped during the serving of 11 search warrants in Sitio Langlang, Barangay Cogon Cruz.
"We caught seven of them while four were already not in their houses," Barandog said.
Police confiscated 17 firearms-four homemade, five high-powered, eight low-powered guns-and P1.4 million worth of shabu.
Also arrested was SFO1 Roel Deiparine, 41, of the Bureau of Fire Protection in Danao City.
"He alleged that he already has his retirement order but until we see the order, he's still active as a fireman. And in our information, he was involved in illegal guns and shabu," Barandog said.
Deiparine denied the allega- tions against him and refused to comment if he uses drugs.
"I can't comment on that but I am optional status on July 1 so I'm still considered active in the service," Deiparine said.
The search warrants were issued by Danao Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 25, Judge Jerry Dicdican.
Caught were Jerry Lavador, Edgar Cuizon, Orlando and Jer- ry Manulat and Fernando and Hanse Batoon.
Cebu City operations
In a related development, the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) seized 395.56 grams of shabu with a Dangerous Drugs Board value of P4,667,968 during One Time Big Time operations.
CCPO Director Joel Doria said they are closely monitoring Ba- rangay Duljo-Fatima for its numerous illegal drug operations.
Doria said that even if most of the drug pushers surrendered during Oplan Tokhang, some of them went back to the old drug trade.
Last Saturday, a 54-year-old woman was caught during a foot patrol and yielded more than a million worth of shabu in Duljo-Fatima.