POLICE Regional Office 2 director, Brigadier General Crizaldo O. Nieves yesterday announced the arrest of 40 wanted persons in the region, six them known ‘high-value drug targets’ and four among the region’s top most wanted men.
In a report to Philippine National Police chief, General Camilo Pancratius P. Cascolan, the PRO2 director said that most of the arrests were made by the Cagayan Police Provincial Office headed by Colonel Ariel N. Quilang.
One of the suspects identified as Julius Bangalan, one of the PRO2’s top drug targets was arrested in a buy-bust operation which led in the confiscation of shabu and a marked P1,000 bill paid to him by an undercover officer.
Bangalan yielded a marked P1,000 bill and a heat-sealed plastic sachet containing shabu during the sting in Barangay Alimannao in Peñablanca municipality 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
Quilang said that Bangalan was among the seven drug targets they arrested in a spate of anti-narcotics operations in Tuguegarao City and the municipalities of Gattaran, Solana and Ballesteros.
The official said that 10 Top Most Wanted Persons and 16 Other MWPs in the province were also sent to jail by his men as a result of their 5-day Revitalized Anti-Criminality Enforcement or RACE from Friday last week until last Tuesday.
The suspects arrested include Mickey Radiamora, a man wanted for three counts of rape; Mirafuente. The others are wanted for attempted murder, theft, qualified theft, frustrated homicide and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
Nieves said that last Sunday, Cagayan policemen also arrested five drug personalities in the province, two of them considered as ‘high-value individuals’ following separate buy-bust operations.
Also arrested as a result of the Cagayan PPO’s RACE were 59 other lawbreakers in the province. He added that those operations also resulted in the confiscation of six banned chainsaws and 31 unregistered firearms.
Nieves said that last Sunday, Cagayan policemen arrested five drug personalities in the province, two of them considered as ‘high-value individuals’ following separate buy-bust operations.
The two were identified as Bangalan and Rogie Bautista alias ‘Amadeo Bautista.’
The official said that Bautista, a known target of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Philippine National Police was arrested 12:30 p.m. Sunday during a sting in Bgy. Sta. Cruz in Ballesteros municipality.
The suspect, a 43-year old construction worker from Centro East, Ballesteros yielded a heat-sealed plastic sachet containing shabu and a marked P1,000 bill paid to him by an undercover officer from the Cagayan PPO’s Drug Enforcement Unit led by Lieutenant Elmar Ventura.
Another identified as Cecilio Aquino,51, a ‘tanod’ from Bgy. Linao East in Tuguegarao City was arrested in an entrapment operation in his neighborhood 2:55 p.m. Sunday.
Quilang said that local anti-narcotics agents led by Lt. Jefferson Berida seized a sachet with shabu and the buy-bust money from the village watchman.
The 4th suspect identified as Reden Deus, a 33-year-old construction worker form Bgy. Sta. Maria in Gattaran municipality yielded two plastic sachets with dried marijuana leaves and the buy-bust money when he was arrested by officers led by Major Edwin Aragon in Centro Norte area 9:30 a.m. last Saturday.
Another identified as Jonas Calimag,38, a vendor from Bgy. Cattaran in Solana town was arrested in a buy-bust operation in his neighborhood 4:30 p.m. last Saturday. The suspect yielded two plastic sachets containing shabu and a marked P500 bill paid to him by an agent.
All suspects are now facing charges for sale and possession of prohibited drugs under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, said Quilang.
Nieves also announced the arrest of 10 persons found playing card game in public in full violation of the General Community Quarantine in Barangay Dalig Kalinga in Aurora, Isabela and in Bgy. Villa in Sta. Teresita, Cagayan.
Seized from the possession of the suspects were several sets of playing cards and Pover P2,000 in cash bets.
