STEPPED-UP anti-criminality drive by the Police Regional Office 4-B this week resulted in the arrest of 23 wanted lawbreakers, PRO4-B director Brig. Gen. Joel B. Doria said yesterday.

One of the suspects identified as Cyril Dalumpines alias “Say/Jak,” a 54-year-old “high-value drug target” in the region, was arrested in a buy-bust operation on the national highway in Zone 1, Bgy. Caguisan in Narra, Palawan on Wednesday.

Recovered from the suspect were some P3,000 worth of shabu and several drug paraphernalia, as well as the buy-bust money, topped by a marked P500 bill.

Three other suspects identified as Vicente Labutin Jr., Andrei Caneñas and Allan Lechuga, respectively wanted for violation of the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998, less serious physical injury and grave oral defamation, were arrested last Wednesday.

Labutin was caught in Bgy. Tiguihan in Pola, Oriental Mindoro while Cañelas was apprehended in Bgy. Poblacion 7 in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro. Lechuga was arrested in Bgy. Zone 1 in Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro.

Ten others were arrested in a string of anti-criminality operations in the region last Thursday.

One of them identified as Christian Brayn Ruellan, 37, was arrested in Sitio Nasigdan in Bgy. Villa Libertad in El Nido, Palawan on the basis of a warrant of arrest for rape by sexual assault issued by the Coron Regional Trial Court.

The others were wanted for qualified theft, estafa, theft, attempted homicide, acts of lasciviousness, direct assault and anti-child abuse.

On the same day, two other drug personalities in the region identified as Susan Cueto, 57; and Jerry Balbino, 37, were arrested in separate entrapment operations.

Doria said that Cueto yielded over P2,000 worth of shabu when arrested on Ramirez Street in Bgy. San Vicente Central in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro while Balbino was arrested in a sting in Ducalan 1 in Bgy. Labangan Poblacion in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, which led to the confiscation of an estimated P15,000 worth shabu, the buy-bust money and various drug paraphernalia.

On Friday, seven other drug personalities in the region were hauled to jail following separate anti-drug operations.

Three of them identified as Ignacio Sulit, 57; Josephina Malimban, 55; and Karen Perez, 37, were arrested while conspiring to sell shabu to a poseur in Morente Ville, Bgy. Wawa, Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro.

Confiscated from the trio were approximately 12 grams of shabu worth P81,600, the buy-bust money and several drug paraphernalia.

The fourth identified as Randy Sudoy, 36, was arrested in a sting in Bgy. Poblacion in Calintaan, Occidental Mindoro. The suspect yielded P1,000 worth of shabu.

Another identified as Emmanuel Mangalino Sr., 39, was arrested in a buy-bust operation in Bgy. Poblacion 4 in Coron, Palawan, Recovered from the suspect were around P1,500 worth of shabu.

Two others identified as Shaira May Baronda, 27; and Gregory John Abilar, 48, tagged as two most wanted persons in Mimaropa region, were also arrested on the same day.

Baronda was arrested in Bgy. Maharlika in Santa Cruz, Marinduque on the basis of a warrant of arrest for five counts of qualified theft while Abilar, tagged as the no. 1 most wanted man in Calapan City, was arrested for two counts of rape by sexual assault.

All suspects arrested in buy-bust operations are now facing charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, Doria said.