Police go aggressive in the campaign against illegal gambling to pre-empt trade shift by drug personalities now that the fight against illegal drugs often result to bloody encounters.

Police operations last week resulted to the arrest of five swertres ushers, four of them were busted on the same day.

In two separate operations in Talibon on September 14, first at around 6:05 p.m. and the second at around 6:45 p.m., the Provincial Intelligence Branch arrested three swertres ushers.

In the first operation in barangay San Francisco, the PIB team- -led by Police Senior Insp. Eraño Regidor- -arrested one Maximo Salva, a 64-year-old resident of the same barangay, married and had been known in the place as swertres usher.

The PIB team joined the special operation group composed of SPO2 Crisanto Bonghanoy Jr., PO3 Bernabe Ortega, PO3 Luigi Gabisan, PO1 Martin Gonato, PO1 Garry Gulle and PO1 Arnel Petalcorin came to barangay San Francisco, Talibon in response to reports that a resident of the barangay had been engaged in swertres.

They first conducted surveillance and saw Salve near the basketball court. Ortega and Petalcorin then approached Salva as they pretended to bet. Upon approaching, they saw some men placing bets, prompting them to introduce themselves as police officers and arrested Salva.

The confiscated from Salva’s possession, one bundle of improvised bet stub containing different number combinations of swertres dated “September 14, 2016” and cash money in different denominations amounting to P41.00 believed to be proceeds of illegal numbers game.

At about 6:45 p.m., the police officers proceeded to the Poblacion area and arrested one Melquiades Rama, a 72-year-old resident in the barangay, married and also publicly known as swertres usher.

The police officers effected the arrest after seeing Rama accepting bets for swertres from one Rogelio Laban.

Laban, a 36-year-old resident of the place, was also arrested.

Items confiscated from Rama included several improvised bet stubs containing different number combinations dated “September 14, 2016”; two cut carbon paper; and cash amounting to P130.

From Laban, they confiscated an improvised bet stub containing different number combinations of swertres dated “September 14, 2016”.

At around 7:35 p.m. on the same day in barangay Booy in Tagbilaran City, teams from the the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-7, Tagbilaran City Police Station and the Provincial Public Safety Company of the Bohol Police Provincial Office arrested another swertres usher.

Police identified the arrested person as one Anaclito Gabi, a 47-year-old construction worker, married and a resident of barangay Booy.

Police Chief Insp. Rene Kyamko, team leader of the Special Operations Team of CIDG-7, said they caught Gabi on the act of accepting bets for swertres.

The police teams confiscated bet money amounting to P205 and stubs with number combinations for swertres from Gabi.

On September 11, a team from Tubigon Police Station composed of Chief Insp. Almirante Bacayo, PO1 Eric Ramos and PO1 Mario E Tecson arrested one Candelario Ruba, a 55-year-old resident of barangay Centro.

Ruba has been a known swertres collector in their barangay.

The police team caught him in the act of issuing a stub and duplicate copy to a police officer who pretended as bettor in a transaction at Tubigon Public Market area.

The cops confiscated from Ruba, one stub with number combinations, a leaf of the stub which is a duplicate copy of betted number, two 20-peso bills used as marked money, and other cash amounting to P135. believed to be proceeds from bets.