PRO8 drug busts nab 6 pushers, yield drugs, guns

By RPCRD, Police Regional Office 8
September 20, 2012

CAMP SEC. RUPERTO K. KANGLEON, Palo, Leyte  –  The PNP Police Regional Office 8 (PRO8) gained headway in its anti-illegal drugs campaign throughout the region with the arrest of six drug pushers during separate anti-illegal drugs operations that also resulted in the confiscation of several short firearms.

“The drug problem will always remain as one of the primary concerns of Police Regional Office 8. We clearly emphasized to our operating units that complacency in the conduct of anti-drug operations will only burden the PNP with the social costs of the continuing drug problem that are highly correlated with criminality. Thus, all line units were ordered to sustain an intensified police operations against illegal drugs”, Police Regional Director PCSupt Elmer Ragadio Soria said.

The Regional Director added that PRO8 had revitalized the implementation of its existing strategy against illegal drugs to further strengthen its capacity to carry-out holistic and coordinated operations in support of the PDEA.

The objective of this strategy, Soria added, is to suppress the flow or trafficking of illegal drugs through the conduct of sustained anti-illegal drug operations such as Buy-bust, Search and Seizure, Mobile Checkpoint Operation, Airport/Seaport Interdiction, Controlled Delivery, Undercover Operation, Narcotics Investigation, Barangay Clearing Operations and other similar police operations.

Soria informed that in the afternoon of September 18, 2012, at Brgy Magbagacay, St. Bernard, Southern Leyte, elements of Southern Leyte PPO, St. Bernard Municipal Police Station and PDEA8 led by PSInsp Delfin Tan and PSInsp Gregorio Nitura conducted buy-bust operation and implementation of Search Warrant which resulted to the arrest of one Geovanie Vasquez y Bonador alias Geo, 33, married, entrepreneur and a resident of Brgy. Magbagacay, St. Bernard, Southern Leyte and listed as Number One drug peddler/pusher in the municipality of St. Bernard.

Confiscated from his actual possession and control during the conduct of buy-bust operation were the following: one sachet of heat-sealed transparent plastic cellophane containing white crystalline substance suspected as “shabu”, two pieces P500.00 peso bill buy-bust money; one MyPhone mobile phone and one piece lighter.

Seized during the implementation of search warrant were one unit .45 caliber pistol Colt MK IV Series 80; one unit Smith & Wesson .357 magnum caliber revolver; one (1) unit .45 caliber empty magazine; four pieces .38 caliber ammunition; five pieces .45 caliber ammunition and several drug paraphernalia.

The confiscated items were properly documented at the scene duly witnessed by Barangay Officials led by Hon. Gilbert Gamutan, Brgy Captain of Brgy Magbagacay, St. Bernard, Southern Leyte.

Also in the afternoon of September 18, 2012, team led by PCInsp Ibrahim Jambiran, Chief, AIDSOTF/Intel Officer of Ormoc City Police Office conducted buy-bust operation at Brgy Nadongholan, Ormoc City which resulted to the arrest of a certain Gregorio Oliverio y Garcia, 42, married and resident of the same place and Elmer Concon, 46, married and resident of Aquino Village, Brgy Cogon, Ormoc City.

Confiscated from the actual possession and control of Oliverio were: one piece medium heat sealed transparent plastic sachet containing suspected shabu; two pieces small heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet containing suspected shabu, one piece P500.00 peso bill marked money and P650.00 in different denominations.

Recovered in plain view at the top of a small table in the living room were: One unit caliber .45 pistol (COLT’s government model) bearing serial number 342614; two magazines for caliber .45; five live ammunition for caliber .45; one improvised shotgun with marble bullet and several drug paraphernalia.

At the time that the other members of the team were swooping down the house, Concon was also arrested when he was caught in the act tucking a gun and running away from the house. Upon the arrest, the item turned out to be a caliber .38 Smith & Wesson revolver without serial number loaded with five live ammunition.

Meanwhile, in Naval, Biliran province, joint elements of Naval Police Station, Biliran Police Provincial Office and PDEA led by PInsp Rogelio Llaneta conducted buy-bust operation in Brgy. PI Garcia of said town that resulted in the arrest of one Ian Caneja y Ang, single, jobless, resident of Castin St., Brgy SMO Rosario, Naval, Biliran. The team seized from the suspect one sachet shabu worth P1,000; buy-bust money of P1,000 bill with Serial No. GB711720, one Nokia 1208 mobile phone; P17,000 assorted bills believed to be drug proceeds and one unit Yamaha Crypton 125 motorcycle with Engine No. ETN 405302.

Relatedly, at Brgy. San Jose, Sogod, Leyte, joint elements of Sogod Police Station led by PSInsp Alfred Reynald Dauz and CIDG led by PSInsp Ferdinand Mendoza buy-bust operation which resulted in the apprehension of Efren and Eduardo dela Victoria, both residents of Brgy. Suba, Sogod, Southern Leyte.

Confiscated from Efren dela Victoria were one small heat-sealed plastic sachet containing “shabu” weighing 0.08g; one medium sachet of shabu weighing 0.20g; P500 bill with serial number RF665330 buy-bust money; MyPHone mobile phone; one .357 caliber paltik revolver with 3 live ammunitions and drug paraphernalia.

The police also seized from Eduardo dela Victoria one small heat-sealed plastic sachet containing “shabu” weighing 0.06g; marked money worth P500 in different denominations and one unit Beretta caliber .9mm pistol bearing serial number SN MO5391Z with 5 live ammunition.

The Regional Director added that appropriate drug charges and illegal possession of firearms were filed against the suspects.

“PRO8 will continue to hit hard on organized crime groups behind the trafficking of illegal drugs in the region in support of the national anti-drug campaign and the PNP LOI “Kontra Droga Charlie”, Soria averred.