Bicol Drug Operations Yield 15 Arrests, P1.7M Worth of Shabu Seized

LEGAZPI CITY, Albay — Fifteen drug suspects were arrested and more than P1.7 million worth of “shabu” (crystal meth) were seized in separate anti-illegal drug operations conducted on Friday in the Bicol region. In a belated report on Saturday, the Camarines Norte police said authorities arrested a 51-year-old woman identified as “Mylene” in a search operation at her residence in Barangay Tugos in Paracale town. Recovered from the high-value target were 200 grams of shabu worth an estimated P1,360,000 and other drug-related paraphernalia. In Barangay Palanas in the same town, a 33-year-old woman identified as “Rolan,” was arrested for selling shabu to an undercover agent at around 2:44 p.m. Police recovered an estimated P61,000 worth of shabu from the suspect identified as a gold panner. In Daet town, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency arrested three suspects in a dismantled drug den in Barangay Magang at around 1:23 p.m. The authorities recovered some P81,600 worth of shabu, improvised tooters, lighters, improvised burners, water pipes, and rolled aluminum foil from the residence of the suspect identified as “Erol,” the drug den maintainer. An initial report from the Daet police said the other two suspects identified as “Fedil” and “Dino” were visitors in the drug den. In Iriga City, Camarines Sur, eight persons were also arrested in separate drug dens in Barangay San Francisco at around 1:46 p.m. Authorities confiscated an estimated P224,800 worth of shabu and tools from the suspects. In Albay, two suspects identified as “Mark”and “Ron” were arrested with P31,756 worth of shabu in a buy-bust operation in Guinobatan town at around 8:16 p.m.. The suspects are facing a formal complaint for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. /gsg