Talisay drug bust: 7 nabbed; P239K shabu seized

Police hit a suspected drug den in Talisay City on Tuesday, confiscated P239,000 worth of suspected shabu, and arrested seven persons including drug suspect, whom police described as a “hitman” of a detained drug lord, and another one, whom police described as a brother of a barangay official.

Senior Insp. Alejandro Batobalonos, Cebu Provincial Police Office Drug Enforcement Unit (CPPO DEU) chief, said that a joint police team conducted a buy-bust operation and the raid in Sitio Galaxy, Barangay Tangke, Talisay City on Tuesday and arrested Jason Padillo, who was target of the operation.

Batobalonos said that the buy-bust operation was done at past 10 a.m. outside the ancestral house of a barangay official of Tangke.

He said that they then arrested Padillo and his brother and alleged partner, Harold Padillo, after the drug buy was done.

He also said that they also found out during the operation that the ancestral house of the barangay official was being used allegedly as a drug den, where they caught five persons including the brother of the barangay official.

Those arrested were 51-year-old Rinie Gavas, barangay official’s brother; Russel Bartolome; Christopher Relampagos; Jessica Abesia; and Angel Rose Beter, who are residents of Sitio Galaxy.

Batobalonos said that Gavas was allegedly caught sniffing suspected shabu during the police operation.

Aside from those arrested, police also confiscated 20.28 grams of suspected shabu, which has an estimated Dangerous Drugs Board value of P239,000 and drug paraphernalia.

A .45 caliber pistol was also confiscated from Jason Padillo.

Batobalonos tagged Jason Padillo as allegedly a hitman of a detained drug lord.

The suspects were detained at the Talisay City Jail pending the filing of charges.