By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – An estimated P3.4 million worth of suspected shabu was seized in a buy-bust operation at Barangay Cadawinonan, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental late Tuesday night.
Police identified the suspect as Jimmy Tanilon, 27, of the said village.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilfredo Alarcon Jr., head of Provincial Intelligence Unit (PIU), said Tanilon is considered a regional level high value individual after he allegedly yielded more than 300 grams of suspected shabu.
The operation was conducted by the Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit, PIU, Dumaguete City Police Station, and Regional Drug Enforcement Unit -7 in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
Police recovered from Tanilon four packs and a sachet of suspected shabu weighing 500 grams, the P3,000 marked money, and a digital weighing scale.
Alarcon said that Tanilon was reportedly transacting the contraband from his contact at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.
“That person at the NBP facilitates the transaction and the contraband is probably being sent to somebody, who will deliver to Tanilon,” he added.
Alarcon said that Tanilon had been under monitoring for two weeks after he was identified to be allegedly engaging in the illegal drug trade by some of the drug suspects who were earlier arrested.
He said that the suspect distributes the items in the city, and towns of Valencia, Bacong, and Sibulan.
He’s been monitored even before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the PIU head said.
He was released from jail in 2017 for a drug offense after he availed the plea bargaining, Alarcon said.
Tanilon will be facing charges for violation of Section 5 (sale of dangerous drugs) and 11 (illegal possession of dangerous drugs) of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
