3 nabbed in Mandaue, Lapu drug busts

PRO-7’s Oplan Tokhang nets over 100K people

THREE suspected drug peddlers were arrested by the police in separate drug operations in Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu cities yesterday afternoon and last Sunday.

James Anthony Biran, 19, of Barangay Mantuyong, Mandaue City was arrested by the police in a buy-bust operation yesterday at 2:50 p.m. He is currently detained at the Centro Police Station pending the filing of charges against him.

Senior Insp. Janelito Marquez, chief of Centro Police Station, revealed that they received information from a concerned citizen regarding a man who allegedly sold illegal drugs inside the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) grounds, where the fire victims from Barangays Mantuyong and Guizo are temporarily staying.

Marquez immediately deployed his men led by PO2 Ariel Gingco to the area.

The police immediately conducted the buy-bust operation against Biran, who was still in the area. A police poseur-buyer handed the P300 marked money to Biran in exchange for shabu.

When the drug transaction was consummated, other policemen came forward to arrest Biran. Two small plastic sachets of suspected shabu were allegedly seized from the suspect as well as the P300 marked money.

In another operation in Mandaue City, a 22-year-old drug peddler was also arrested last Sunday evening in Purok Sili, Barangay Cambaro by the elements of Opao Police Station led by Chief Insp. Wilbert Parilla.

Drug suspect Aldwin Gonzaga allegedly handed over shabu to a police poseur-buyer in exchange for the P300 marked money, prompting the policemen to arrest him past 10 p.m. on Sunday.
Police seized from Gonzaga 16 small sachets of suspected shabu worth P20,000 and recovered the P300 buy-bust money.

In Lapu-Lapu City, one Regie Acalain, 24, of Sitio Soong 1, Barangay Mactan was arrested near his residence in a buy-bust operation led by Senior Insp. Felix Cleopas past 10 a.m. last Sunday. Police confiscated five small plastic sachets of suspected shabu from Acalain. They also recovered the marked money.
Meanwhile, the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7’s) Oplan Tokhang campaign against illegal drugs has already caught more than 100,000 drug personalities in a span of seven months, according to a report released yesterday by the PRO-7.
The report covering the provinces of Cebu, Bohol and Siquijor for the period from July 1, 2015 to January 5, 2016 showed that at least 152 individuals were killed during police operations, 4,650 were arrested and 104,262 have surrendered.