Grade 11 student among those arrested inside Barrio Luz drug den

Drug den dismantled in Brgy. Luz in Cebu City on August 31, 2022. | Photo courtesy of PDEA-7

CEBU CITY, Philippines – A grade 11 student was among those arrested in a drug den raid in Barangay Luz, Cebu City last Wednesday, August 31, the country’s anti-narcotics agency said.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7), in a statement, said they dismantled another drug den here last Wednesday at 2:18 p.m. 

They arrested at least three individuals during Wednesday’s operation, including the suspected custodian of the drug den who was identified as Russel Solis, a 59-year-old widower. Solis was also the subject of the raid, PDEA-7 said.

PDEA-7 agents also apprehended a certain John Philip Buñao, 29, a fast-food service crew, and a grade 11 student identified as Shawn Michael Baragay, 19. 

Both Buñao and Baragay were inside the drug den allegedly maintained by Solis during the raid, enforcers added. 

Anti-narcotics agents seized a total of five small, transparent plastic sachets containing a white crystalline substance believed to be shabu, weighing a total of 12 grams. 

Their value was pegged at P81,000.

PDEA-7 also confiscated several drug paraphernalia.

Leia Alcantara, the spokesperson of PDEA-7, said the raid stemmed from one of their confidential informants.

Alcantara added that it took them two weeks to verify and build their case against Solis, who reportedly had the capacity to dispose of between 15 to 20 grams of illegal drugs in a week. 

“Dismantling of drug dens is considered a high-impact operation as drug dens are breeding ground for violence and criminality and disrupt peace and order in the community,” Alcantara added. /rcg 

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