3 drug suspects nabbed during Pusok buy-bust

A SUSPECTED drug pusher and his two alleged customers were caught in a buy-bust in Barangay Pusok, Lapu-Lapu City last Sunday night.

Elmer Patalinghug, 49, who is a known drug peddler in the area, was arrested inside the Patalinghug Compound in Sitio Seabreeze at 7:30 p.m..

Members of Lapu-Lapu Police Station 5 led by Chief Insp. Wayne Magbanua also arrested Niel “Pungkol” Rubi, 43, a resident of Sitio Ibabao; and Michael Caburnay, 18, who lives in Sitio Upa.

The two men were al-

Police arrested Elmer Patalinghug, Niel Rubi and Michael Caburnay inside the Patalinghug Compound in Sitio Seabreeze in Lapu-Lapu City The three men did not surrender during Oplan Tokhang: police official

legedly buying illegal drugs from Patalinghug.

Family connection

Before the arrest, a police decoy bought a sachet of suspected shabu from the suspect worth P200.

“Patalinghug did not surrender during Oplan Tokhang, but he was a known player in the illegal drug trade in the area,” Magbanua said in Cebuano.

He said Patalinghug’s sibling had surrendered to the police for selling illegal drugs.

Past offender

Patalinghug was charged with the same violation in the past, according to Magbanua.

Authorities recovered another two sachets of shabu, drug paraphernalia, the buy-bust money and P330 cash from Patalinghug.

Police seized a sachet of shabu each from Rubi and Caburnay.

Magbanua said Rubi and Caburnay also did not surrender during Oplan Tokhang.

The police official said the three suspects were detained at the LapuLapu Police Office holding cell.