By Jennifer P. Rendon
A 27-year-old man claimed that he went into drug peddling as he was enticed by easy money and free shabu use.
And it didn’t take long for authorities to bust Marlon Ignacio’s illegal drug trade activity.
Ignacio, a resident of Barangay Rizal Pala Pala 2, City Proper, Iloilo City, was arrested in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Buhang, Jaro district around 8:30 p.m. of September 20.
Members of the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit 6 (RPDEU-6), together with operatives from the Iloilo City Police Station 3, the Regional Highway Patrol Unit 6 (RHPU-6), and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group 6 (CIDG-6)’s Anti-Illegal Drugs Team, arrested the suspect after he sold a sachet of suspected shabu worth P15,000 to a police poseur buyer.
Recovered from the suspect were three more plastic sachets of suspected shabu, a mobile phone, and a Rusi motorcycle (license plate 0601-0809625) without pertinent documents.
Lieutenant Colonel Mark Anthony Darroca, RPDEU-6 chief, said the seized drugs were valued at P136,000.
According to Ignacio, he joined the narcotics trade through his friend alias Popo Aurelio, who is now behind bars.
Aurelio allegedly instructed him to bring drugs to customers via Messenger.
In return for his services, he was given P1,000 per delivery and free use of shabu.
Ignacio admitted that he used drugs prior to his arrest. He said he was enticed because of the big pay.
The suspect is now detained and will be charged for violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).
