Anti-drug operations net 14 in Manila

Fourteen people were arrested in Manila in simultaneous overnight antiillegal drugs operations.

First to be picked up was Carren Castillo, 38, resident of Gomez Street in Paco.

Police said they received a report that Cstillo was selling drugs near Linear Park in Barangay 823 about 4 p.m.

Castillo was nabbed and two sachets of suspected shabu were seized from her, police reported.

In Pandacan, 41-year-old Mayet Castillo was nabbed by policemen conducting Oplan Lambat Sibat on Bario Banana Street about 5 p.m. Found from her possession are two sachets of suspected shabu.

Angelito Meneses, a 35-year-old barker, and Antonieta Gainsan, a 42year-old baby sitter, were arrested after being caught gambling on Quezon Boulevard near Soler Ext. in Quiapo at 6:45 p.m.

Two sachets of shabu were also found in their possession.

At 9 p.m., Jhules Barry Ubaldo, 23, was arrested in a drug bust in front of a fast food outlet on New Panaderos Street in Sta. Ana.

Ubaldo tried to sell two sachets of hybrid marijuana with a street value of R6,000 to an undercover policeman.

A few minutes later, another bust on Prudencia Street in Tondo netted Arnold Reyes, 34, and Manuel Villanueva, 49.

Found on them were three sachets of suspected shabu.

On Juan Luna Street, also in Tondo, 34-year-old Hermie Villasis was arrested and three sachets of shabu were confiscated from him.

Vladimir Flores, 34, was arrested after police received a call from a citizen that he was selling drugs on RA Reyes Street at 10 p.m.

Also in Tondo, John Ryan De Castro, 33, Efren Del Rosario, 38, and Avelina Montemayor, 53, were arrested while using illegal drugs on Prudencia corner Dagupan Extension.

Three sachets of shabu were seized from them.

At 10:45 p.m., a 22-year-old high school student Dandy Damaso, was nabbed after police received a report that a group of youths were using illegal drugs along the railroad tracks.

Seized from Damaso was a sachet of suspected shabu.

A little over midnight, a 20-year-old vendor was arrested at Plaza Ruiz in Binondo after an improvised smoking pipe with traces of burned leaves suspected to be marijuana was found in his possession.

In Quezon City, an alleged drug pusher was killed by police in a drug sting that turned into a shootout Wednesday after midnight.

Superintendent Tomas Nuñez, chief of the Fairview Police Station, identified the man as Vergil Leblora, 43, a resident of Astor Street in Barangay North Fairview,.

Nuñez said Leblora, who had surrendered under Oplan Tokhang in July 2016, continued to sell illegal drugs in his neighborhood.

Ten sachets of shabu inside a Hello Kitty coin purse and a caliber .45 pistol were seized from Leblora. (With Alexandria Dennise San Juan)