NATIONAL Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director Major General Jonnel C. Estomo yesterday commended officers and men of the NCRPO Regional Drug Enforcement Unit (NCRPO-RDEU) who were involved in a major anti-narcotics operation in Metro Manila last Saturday, which led to the seizure of around P3.6 million worth of shabu.

According to the official, undercover agents from the NCRPO-RDEU spearheaded the buy-bust operation at Quirino Avenue corner 4 De Julio St. in Barangay Baclaran, Parañaque City, around 9 p.m. of January 20, which led to the arrest of two “high-value targets” with the aliases “Tita” and “Casanova”.

Confiscated from the duo’s possession were eight plastic sachets containing some 530 grams of the so-called “poor man’s cocaine” valued at P3,604,000 and the buy-bust money.

Both are now being held at the NCRPO-RDEU lock-up facility in Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City facing non-bailable charges for the sale and possession of prohibited drugs under the Republic Act (RA) 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, said Estomo.

The NCRPO chief said that the RDEU operatives were assisted by officers from the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-DEG), the Southern Police District DEU (Drug Enforcement Unit), and the Parañaque City Police Station DEU in the conduct of the successful sting.

It was the latest major anti-narcotics operation conducted by the NCRPO amid its continuing war on drugs in Metro Manila, even as Estomo acknowledged the support they have been getting from their other counterparts and the community in going after major drug personalities in the metropolis.

“We have accomplished many, but many are yet to be accomplished. We guarantee to continue the fight we have started and hold the sources liable [for] this illegal drug proliferation in our region,” he said.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Alfred P. Dalizon