PDEA dismantles ‘drug dens’

AN AGENT of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) inventories the suspected shabu and drug paraphernalia recovered from the house of Orlando Traspadillo Jr. in a drug raid at Barangay VI, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental on Thursday. (Photo courtesy of PDEA-Negros Occidental)

By: Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Negros Occidental raided two alleged drug dens and arrested 12 persons in two separate operations at the port area of Barangay VI, San Carlos City last Aug 15, 2019.

Armed with a search warrant, PDEA agents raided first the house of Orlando Traspadillo Jr., and seized 20 grams of suspected shabu worth P136,000, and drug paraphernalia.

Traspadillo allegedly maintains a drug den, where Adrian Bartido, Regina Muele, Ricardo Favores Jr., Orlando Dual, and Francis Edmon Castillo were also arrested during the operation.

PDEA also served another search warrant to Rhoy Traspadillo, who also reportedly maintains a drug den at the said village.

Also arrested were Kim Silva Batusin, Antonio Pilarion Jakosalem, Jayfred Almitante Bendecio, Jobert Caparida Señerez, and

Irish Joper Villaruel Magpantay.

Confiscated during the said operation were 15 grams of suspected shabu worth P102,000, and drug paraphernalia.

PDEA-Negros Occidental head Nicolas Gomez, said they placed the Traspadillos under monitoring for several months before the operation.

The other arrested persons were caught allegedly holding a “pot session” during the raid, he added.

PDEA is preparing drug charges against all 12 suspects.

Meanwhile, an estimated P274,200 worth of suspected shabu were seized here and in some parts of the province in the past two days.

Arrested at Barangay Banago here in a buy-bust operation yesterday was Joer Parar, after he allegedly yielded six sachets of suspected shabu weighing 20 grams worth P250,000, and the P500 marked money.

Parar, a high-value target, and drug surrenderer, is detained at Police Station 3.