Three alleged shabu peddlers were arrested in separate buy-bust operations conducted by police operatives over the weekend in Tagbilaran City and Pilar town.
On Saturday night, the Tagbilaran City Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) arrested one Calbert Balbarota, 33 years old, single, jobless and a resident of Mabuhay Village, Barangay Dao, Tagbilaran City, during an entrapment operation.
A police poseur-buyer was able to purchase shabu from Balbarota worth P500. When the suspect was already in police custody, a police searcher found in his possession another eight (8) small cellophane sachets containing shabu with an estimated weight of 3 grams and a Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) value of P20,400.
Meanwhile, a former member of the Provincial Security Force detailed at the Governor’s Mansion but was discharged from the service after having been previously imprisoned for illegal sale and possession of shabu was again arrested by the Tagbilaran City DEU early morning Sunday at A. Cloma Avenue, Barangay Booy, this city.
The suspect, identified as Joey Lorete alias “Bodoy”, 29 years old, and a resident of Purok 1, Barangay Lourdes, Panglao, was tracked down by Tagbilaran City-DEU operatives selling shabu in Barangay Booy.
An undercover operative pretended to buy P500 worth of shabu from Lorete and right after the drug transaction was consummated back-up operatives cornered the suspect.
Aside from the marked money that was used in the drug transaction, also confiscated from the possession of Lorete were six (6) small sachets that contained shabu weighing approximately 10 grams and having a DDB value of P68,000.
In the town of Pilar, a suspected thief of live cattle, particularly cows and carabaos, was arrested in a buy-bust operation conducted by the Pilar DEU on Sunday morning in Barangay Del Pilar of said municipality.
Police identified the suspect as Porferio Apari alias “Perio”, 60 years old, a farmer and a resident of the same village.
The Pilar DEU have been conducting surveillance on Apari and incidentally learned that he is also the perpetrator of several incidents of theft of live cattle in said town.
A police poseur-buyer succeeded in buying P500 worth of shabu from the suspect which led to his arrest. Apari was also found in possession of another small sachet containing shabu weighing about 0.16 gram and with a DDB value of P1,000.
Appropriate charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act will be filed against the suspects.
In Baclayon town, two brothers whom neighbors pointed as suspects in stealing fighting cocks were arrested by elements of the Baclayon Police Station on Sunday following a hot pursuit operation.
During their arrest, the younger brother, aged 14, was found in possession of shabu contained in five (5) small cellophane sachets. The elder suspect is identified as Dezon Jayectin, 20 years old and a resident of Purok 10, Barangay Montaña, Baclayon.
Residents in said barangay informed police that the brothers were responsible in the theft of at least 20 fighting cocks. However, at the time of their arrest, only 6 fighting cocks were recovered from their possession.
The elder Jayectin will be charged for theft while his younger brother who is still a minor has been turned over by the Baclayon police to the Department of Social Welfare and Development Office (DSWD) for custody. (KB, WM)