ORMOC CITY– A newly identified drug personality listed as a street-level individual was arrested by local police during a buy-bust operation conducted Monday afternoon, July 14, in Sitio Pingag, Barangay Matlang, Isabel, Leyte.
The suspect, identified only by the alias “Rustom,” 26 years old, self-employed, and a resident of the said barangay, was apprehended by operatives of the Station Drug Enforcement Team (SDET) of Isabel Municipal Police Station (MPS).
Police said the suspect sold a sachet containing a white crystalline substance believed to be shabu to an undercover operative for P500. During a subsequent body search, conducted in the presence of mandatory witnesses, authorities recovered five more sachets of suspected shabu hidden inside a cigarette pack found in the suspect’s pocket.
Also seized was the marked P500 bill used during the transaction, which had been pre-coordinated with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) as part of standard operational procedure.
The suspect was informed of his constitutional rights in a language he fully understood at the time of arrest. He is currently detained at the Isabel MPS custodial facility.
Charges for violations of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, have been filed against the suspect before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office in Ormoc City.
Police noted that the operation was part of ongoing efforts to curb the illegal drug trade in the municipality and surrounding areas.
(ROBERT DEJON)
