Drug busts net 2.4 kilos of shabu
More than 2.4 kilos of suspected shabu were seized while three alleged drug peddlers were killed during a two-day regionwide drug bust that started last Thursday.
Police Regional Office (PRO)7 data indicated that 101 warrants of arrest and 80 search warrants from different types of crimes were served during the two-day operation.
Of the 114 buy-bust operations, police operatives were able to seize 1,631 sachets of suspected illegal drugs weighing 2.4 kilos with an estimated value of P16.4 million.
These illegal drugs came from 238 arrested suspects.
PRO-7 Chief Debold Sinas explained that the monetary value per gram of seized illegal drugs decreased when the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency released a standard value of P6,800 per gram, instead of P11,000 per gram they were using before.
"Accordingly the price ranges on that amount gikuha lang ang average. Kung mangutana mo kung ngano, that I could not answer as of now," Sinas said.
One of the highlights of the two-day One Time, Big Time operation was the arrest of the two suspected drug peddlers linked to Jeffrey Cabaron, 25, who was arrested in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Tisa last November 18.
Operatives seized 3.3 kilos of shabu from Cabaron.
The arrested alleged peddlers were Freddie Caburnay Briones, 38, a resident of Cabancalan 1, Barangay Bulacao, Cebu City, and Aristedes Flores Eranes, 37, a resident of Barangay Ermita, Cebu City.
Carburnay and Eranes were arrested in separate buybust operations.
Seized from Caburnay were 505 grams of alleged illegal drugs, while the police recovered 725 grams of suspected shabu from Aristedes.
Sinas said they have discovered the connection between the three in a tactical interrogation of the arrested suspects.
Initially, they have seen a resemblance of the shabu seized from the two and from Cabaron.
"Medyo yellowishbrownish siya same texture sa drugs ni Cabaron. Accordingly they were distributors Cabaron," Sinas said.
Meanwhile, three suspected drug peddlers died on a shootout in the cities of Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue and Talisay.
In Barangay Gun-ob, Lapu-Lapu City, Janmell Benosillo, an alleged highvalue target was killed in a buy-bust operation.
Benosillo reportedly pulled out his. 357 caliber revolver to fire at one of the police personnel from Gunob Police Station 3.
Chief Inspector Lauron Rully, Gun-ob Police Station 3 Commander, said that Benosillo was allegedly involved in numerous robbery incidents in the city, aside from being a drug peddler.
Seized from the suspect were three medium packs of suspected shabu weighing six grams with an estimated value of P70,800.
On the same day, Eduardo Castro “Achok” Bakgohan, 30, was killed in a shootout at Villa Mangga, Barangay Opao, Mandaue City.
The police were able to recover from Bakgohan's possession 11 sachets of suspected shabu, a calibre .38 with four live ammunitions and two empty shells.
In Barangay Tabunok, Talisay City, Ronald Valdez, 18, was killed in a police operation.
Sinas said that Valdez attempted to pull out his gun after sensing that he was transacting with police operatives, but the police were able to shoot him first.
Sinas also said that Valdez's gun had an imprint of Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
Aside from the drug operations, the police operatives also arrested 64 players of illegal gambling.
TALISAY CITY
Meanwhile, an hour after the region-wide OTBT officially ended, seven drug personalities were arrested in a buy-bust operation at Sitio Kasagingan, Barangay Lawaan 3, Talisay City.
The subject of the operation was Alberto Quiñones while his suspected customers who were said to be caught sniffing illegal drugs in the area.
Arrested were Reynaldo Lobreno Quiñones, 24, Jaylord Ople Cabiluna, 28,
Jaywars Cabaluna Rico, 20, Proglen Indo Ilagan, 44, and a certain Rodrigo Bacus Macadaya, 44.
Seized during the operation were three large, six medium and 50 triangular shape sachets of suspected shabu valued at P1.2 million.
According to police reports, the area was allegedly a drug den for the subject's customers.