Five suspects in a drug buy-bust operation in Consolacion town are being processed at the town’s police station on March 20, 2020. | Contributed photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Drug personalities should think twice about continuing their illegal drug business in Consolacion.
Police Major Verniño Noserale, Consolacion Police Station chief, warned these drug personalities because their enemies were not only police officers now but also the town’s residents.
Noserale was referring to the police’s latest anti-illegal drug operation where they confiscated 1.5 kilograms of suspected shabu with an estimated worth of P9.7 million and arrested five people, who were believed to be members of a bigger drug group.
Noserale credited the success to the operation to the information given by concerned citizens, who provided important reports during the three-week case buildup against the suspects.
“The public is now more aware and concerned as they see the collaborative operations of the government agencies. We can say that the community is trusting the law enforcement agencies more which give them the confidence to divulge information,” said Noserale.
The buy-bust operation in Purok 1, Barangay Nangka, Consolacion, Cebu at around 6:30 p.m., on Friday, March 20, 2020 also yielded 1.5 kilograms of suspected shabu and the arrest of the five suspects.
Read more: Consolacion drug bust yields P9.7M shabu; 5 nabbed
Keeping it in the family, kin’s roles
According to Noserale, the arrested personalities in the recent buy-bust were an organized group and might be members of a bigger drug group or might possibly be members of old drug groups.
He said that these people recently arrested were relatives and could be traced in the same family tree.
The arrested suspects were identified as Ronel Dayaganon Giganto, 27, of Purok 1, Nangka, Consolacion; Francesco Cabahug Garofalo, 27, of Tabok, Mandaue City; Rico Dela Cruz Uy, 19, of Looc, Mandaue City; Ronie Etcobanez Conol, 29, of Riverside, Poblacion Oriental, Consolacion, and Josephine Dela Cruz Uy, 21, of Looc, Mandaue City.
One person identified as certain Cela Solliano Dela Cruz, 26, a resident of Riverside, Looc, Mandaue City, was able to elude arrest, but Noserale assured that the police are already conducting follow up investigation to trace her whereabouts.
Noserale said that Dela Cruz was considered as the main transactor or the negotiator of the group’s trade.
The possible source might her husband who is now inside the provincial jail after being locked up for illegal drug case three years ago.
Noserale said according to interviews with arrested persons, Dela Cruz was identified as the one who allegedly managed the group.
Giganto, was said to be the brother of Dela Cruz’s husband and was assigned as the main pick-up and delivery boy of the group.
Both Rico and Josephine Dela Cruz Uy, were Dela Cruz’s half siblings and were assigned as distributors of the group’s other client.
Conol, a native of Consolacion served as the one who packs the illegal drugs into their sachets, while Garofalo, a call center agent, was included in the arrest as he was the customer present when the buy-bust happened.
Pursuing the one that got away
Although Dela Cruz had escaped, Noserale said the arrest of the five personalities and the seizure of the illegal drugs was a big loss to the group and their business.
They also recovered the cellphone owned by Giganto and had already submitted it to the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit (RACU) for contact tracing.
Noserale said the cellphone was already a big help because they could continue to profile the arrested suspects.
The Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) would also be tapped according to Noserale as they had noticed that all of the arrested except for Conol, were from Mandaue City.
Noserale said that with the help of their counter agencies and community assistance, they would be able to catch not only the Dela Cruz, but her cohorts as well./dbs