SEVEN persons were arrested and packs of shabu worth at least P1 million were seized in separate police operations in southern Cebu and Cebu City last Wednesday.
In Barangay Biasong, Talisay City, three persons, including a woman, were arrested after they were caught possessing packs of suspected shabu.
Operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Central Visayas (CIDG-7) had gone to the house of Bernard Belleza to implement a search warrant issued by Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Soliver Peras of Branch 10 in Cebu City.
Belleza was able to escape but his daughter Shane, along with Christian Gomez, 20; Christian Larita, 20; and Ariel Bacariza, 18, were arrested.
The house was believed to have been used as a drug den, Supt. Fermin Armendarez III said. A .38 revolver was also recovered in the house.
Police also seized two motorcycles believed to be stolen vehicles after the suspects failed to show documents to prove that they owned them.
Biasong Barangay Captain Reynaldo Bas, who witnesses the raid, said he had been hearing reports about Belleza’s alleged illegal drug activities.
In an interview, Gomez admitted he was Belleza’s runner.
“Usahay akoy mobaligya (Sometimes I’m the one who sells),” he said.
Larita and Bacariza said they were in the house to buy illegal drugs and denied they were cohorts of Belleza.
A separate raid in Carcar City led to the arrest of Aristedes Fabo.
Police said they seized a .38 revolver and two plastic packs believed to contain shabu in the house.
In Cebu City, two men were arrested after they tried to sell shabu to three policemen who they thought were out to buy illegal drugs.
Three policemen from the Cebu City Public Safety Company (CCPC) went to Barangay Calamba Wednesday night after receiving a report about an ongoing illegal gambling activity.
When the three policemen, who were in civilian clothes, arrived in the area, two persons identified as Maribel Sambelan Bardoc and Steve Ratilla Alegarme met them and offered them shabu.
Police ended up arresting the two and seized 38 packs of suspected shabu from them.