8 students yield party drugs, kush

Police seized party drugs and kush or high-grade marijuana from eight students in separate buy-bust operations in Manila, early Saturday morning.

Police said suspects Adrielle Mercado, 21; Maico Estrella, 22; Jan Andre Sanchez, 18; and Matthew Reyes, 21, all male, were arrested in front of McDonalds on Taft Avenue near P. Ocampo Street at about 1 a.m. after a poseur-buyer from Ermita Police Station Drug Enforcement Unit (SDEU) bought from them five pink tablets of ecstasy worth ₱5,000.

Station commander Supt. Igmedio Bernaldez said the suspects use a website to transact with their customers who are mostly students.

They also learned that the confiscated kush came from California.

Ermita police also confiscated two kilos of locally grown marijuana with a street value of ₱240,000 from four more students at around 8 p.m. on the same day.

Students Richmond Rey Palustre, 20; Ryan Glenn Zarandin, 20; Miguel Cardeña, 19; and Xanni Antonio, 18, were collared in front of McDonalds on C.M. Recto corner S.H. Loyola Street in Sampaloc.

The undercover agent was able to buy from them two bricks of marijuana placed in red and green eco bags for ₱2,000.