A ZAMBALES Police Provincial Office-led anti-narcotics raid in Subic municipality around 3 a.m. yesterday resulted in the dismantling of a number of notorious drug dens and the seizure of a cache of drugs and high-powered weapons and explosives, Zambales PPO director, Colonel Romano V. Cardiño told the Journal Group.
The official said that 10 suspects were arrested during the simultaneous raids at the drug dives inside the Muslim Area in Purok 6B, Calapacuan in Subic which has been the subject of a number of complaints from concerned citizens.
“We have received information that shabu can be easily purchased and even used in the area,” said Cardiño in a report to Police Regional Office 3 director, Brigadier General Valeriano T. de Leon.
Arrested during the raid were online sellers Jordana Inuk,33; and Melvin Tigbe,33; security guard Abdulgani Lamani,46; vendor Ajirya Ibnohari,49; Roger Lamani,33; Jainal Jilin,28, fisherman Benny Isnani,40; store owner Robert Nali,35; fisherman Jeff Pussan,57; and Raymnd Echague,29.
According to Cardiño, his men, joined by operatives from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the Zambales Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, the Philippine National Police Special Action Force (PNP-SAF), Highway Patrol Group (HPG) and Drug Enforcement Group conducted the early morning raids.
Recovered during the initial buy-bust were nine heat-sealed plastic sachets containing an estimated 15 grams of shabu worth P120,000, a marked P500 bill and an improvised tooter.
Cardiño said the raid at the house of Angeliza Arizo alias ‘Ghelly’ which was conducted on the strength of a search warrant for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 issued by Judge Raymond Viray of the Olongapo City Regional Trial Court Branch 75 resulted in the confiscation of seven plastic sachets containing about 40 grams of the so-called ‘poor man’s cocaine’ worth P260,000.
Another raid at the house of Abel Israel in Purok 6-B led to the seizure of a revolver loaded with five live 5.56 ammunition and a hand grenade.
The search at the house of Joel Salvador resulted in the confiscation of another fragmentation grenade, a caliber .45 pistol with a magazine containing three live ammunition.
All suspects are now being held at the Subic Municipal Police Station where charges for illegal possession of drugs, firearms and explosives are being readied against them by the local police headed by Major San Juan Felmar Aquino, said the Zambales police director.
