ORMOC CITY – A 41-year-old internet technician listed as a high-value individual (HVI) in the local drug watchlist and his alleged accomplice were arrested in a buy-bust operation conducted by the City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) and the Station Drug Enforcement Team (SDET) of Police Station 3.
The operation took place around 10:36 p.m. on Thursday, June 19, in Purok 1, Barangay Lao, this city.
CDEU Chief PLt. Riche Selencio identified the suspects as alias “Cielo,” 41, married, an internet technician tagged as HVI, and alias “Win,” 35, single, a fisherman listed as a Street-Level Individual (SLI). Both are residents of Barangay Lao.
According to police, “Cielo” was the primary target of the operation. However, it was “Win” who handed over a sachet containing a white crystalline substance believed to be shabu to a poseur buyer in exchange for P1,000. The sachet weighed 0.21 grams.
A body search conducted on “Cielo”, witnessed by barangay officials as mandated by law, led to the recovery of three more sachets of suspected shabu weighing 0.48 grams, along with two P500 bills—one of which matched a court-authorized marked bill used during the operation. The other was fake (boodle money).
“Win” was also found in possession of two additional sachets of suspected shabu, weighing another 0.21 grams.
During questioning, “Cielo” admitted that the drugs recovered from him were his and claimed he used them to stay alert while working. “Win”, on the other hand, insisted he was merely in the area to pick up crabs from a friend.
Both suspects were informed of their rights in a language they understood and are now detained at the Police Station 3 lock-up facility in Barangay Liloan.
The CDEU is preparing to file charges for violations of Sections 5 (sale) and 11 (possession) of Article II of Republic Act 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
(ROBERT DEJON)
