HVT for drug collared in Silay City, over P7M shabu seized
ANOTHER “high-value target” (HVT) drug suspect in Western Visayas was arrested by agents of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO6) in a buy-bust operation in Silay City in Negros Occidental, which led to the seizure of over P7 million worth of shabu bringing to some P20 million the value of the so-called “poor man’s cocaine” confiscated by the police since last Sunday, PRO6 Director Brigadier General Leo M. Francisco said.
The official said that the suspect with the alias “Maco” became the 3rd most wanted drug personality in the region to be arrested in a series of “intelligence-driven” buy-bust operations in Silay City last Sunday.
“We arrested [the suspect] during a follow-up operation triggered by the arrest of two other top drug dealers in the city who yielded over P13 million worth of shabu,” said Francisco in a report to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr.
According to the PRO6 director, the suspect was arrested in a buy-bust operation conducted at the entrance of Mallery 2 Subdivision located in Barangay Rizal in Silay City around 9:45 p.m. Sunday.
A resident of Antonio Luna Street in nearby Bgy. 1, the 36-year-old suspect yielded 16 plastic packets that contained some 1.1 kilos of shabu valued at P7.6 million and the buy-bust money topped by several marked bills.
Members of the Silay Component City Police Station Drug Enforcement Unit led by Lt. Guilmor Cuara and the Silay CPS headed by Lt. Col. Mark Anthony Darroca and Maj. Kenneth Jay Gratones conducted the successful sting.
Francisco said that the arrest of Villaran came some 12 hours after two other top drug targets in the region, identified as alias “Tomboy” and her 25-year-old sister, were arrested for conspiring to sell more than two kilograms of shabu worth at least P13.6 million to an undercover officer in the city.
The official said that confiscated from the possession of the two suspects, who are both residents of Sitio Dapdap in Bgy. Lantad were five plastic packets containing 2,100 grams of shabu worth over P13,668,000 and the buy-bust money.
The PRO6 director said that members of the PRO6 Regional Drug Enforcement Unit led by Lt. Glenn A. Soliman, with the assistance of officers from the Silay City Police Station, arrested the two siblings past 10:00 a.m. Sunday following weeks of surveillance.
“We have accounted for two top drug targets in Western Visayas who have long been under our radar amid persistent reports that they were involved in big-time drug trafficking activities in the region,” said Francisco.
The official added that they are still conducting follow-up operations to identify and arrest the main source of the shabu confiscated from the three suspects.
All three will be facing non-bailable charges for the sale and possession of prohibited drugs under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. They are being held at the Silay City police lock-up facility.
