By Jennifer P. Rendon
More than P1.5 million worth of shabu was seized in three separate drug operations conducted in less than four hours in Iloilo City.
The series of operations led to the arrest of five suspects:
-John Rex Gallego, 24, of Barangay Wilson, City Proper, Iloilo City;
-Vanessa Mirambel, 41, of Barangay San Jose Arevalo;
-Sunny Vince Victoriano, 18, of Barangay Sto. Domingo, Arevalo;
-Roderick Villaflor, 41, of Zone 7, Barangay Don Esteban, Lapuz; and
-Erwin de Pedro, 28, of Zone 7, Barangay Veterans Village, City Proper.
Members of the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit 6 (RPDEU-6) arrested Gallego, Mirambel, and Victoriano in a buy-bust operation at 9:45 p.m. on June 26 in Barangay Sooc.
Gallego, a painter; Mirambel, a masseuse; and Victoriano, a student, allegedly conspired to sell a sachet of suspected shabu for P14,000.
Eight sachets of suspected shabu were recovered from Gallego and three sachets from Mirambel.
Police operatives also seized P850 in cash, two mobile phones, two motorcycles, and other non-drug items.
The seized drugs weighed around 145 grams with a standard drug price of P986,000.
Meanwhile, members of the Iloilo City Police Station 2 arrested Villaflor at his home in Don Esteban, Lapuz, at around 11:20 p.m. on Wednesday.
He allegedly sold a sachet of suspected shabu for P10,000.
When frisked, Villaflor was found with 25 more sachets of suspected shabu and several non-drug items.
The seized drugs weighed around 71 grams and were valued at P482,800.
On the other hand, members of ICPS1 arrested de Pedro in Barangay Veterans Village around 1:05 a.m. on June 27. The suspect was found with 16 grams of suspected shabu valued at P108,800.
All suspects are now detained and will be charged with violations of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).
