Former PO2 Julieto “Batang” Karaan who last made Bohol’s headlines in the late 1990s as one of Tagbilaran City’s top drug personalities was again arrested on Sunday evening through a drug buy-bust.

The sting operation was set up against Karaan after two previously nabbed alleged narcotics dealers tagged him as their drug source, said Bohol police Provincial Intelligence Branch (PIB) chief Sr. Insp. Jojit Mananquil.

One of the suspects who allegedly received drug supply from Karaan was identified by authorities as Dave More who was arrested by police and allegedly caught in possession of shabu worth P260,000 in Dauis.

Karaan was arrested at 9:50 p.m. on Sunday while More was collared just hours prior at 6:20 p.m.

According to Dauis police chief Gerard Luna, they also spotted Karaan during the buy-bust operation against More prompting operatives to chase him down.

However, Karaan who was on board a motorcycle reportedly reached Tagbilaran City and outside the Dauis police’s jurisdiction.

Luna then asked assistance from Camp Dagohoy in Tagbilaran City which tasked the PIB to carry out the sting operation against Karaan in Barangay Cogon which led to the suspect’s arrest.

In August of 1999, Karaan was collared in Cebu City by joint police operatives of Bohol and the Central Visayas intelligence unit.

Karaan was the subject of a police manhunt while an arrest warrant had been issued against him.

He was among 14 drug personalities who were being hunted down by authorities amid an all-out war on illegal drugs launched by then Tagbilaran City police chief Supt. Louie Oppus.

According to Mananquil, Karaan was convicted of drug charges in 2007.

He was sent to the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City and then transferred to the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Mindoro before he was released in February this year.

Karaan reportedly stayed in Cebu for a while before returning to Bohol, said Mananquil. (with reports from Weli Maestrado)