2 nabbed in Lucena drug buy-bust

LUCENA CITY–Two former drug surrenderers were nabbed in a buy-bust operation in Lucena City on Thursday night, police said Friday.

Supt. Vicente Cabatingan, Lucena police chief, said Joel Astrera, 35, and Noli Refran, 54, were collared after the duo sold crystal meth or “shabu” to an undercover member of the local drug enforcement unit in Barangay (village) 4 around 7:10 p.m.

Authorities seized five plastic sachets of shabu weighing two grams and worth P3,700 including the marked money.

Police said the suspects were remnants of a local drug group that had already been busted.

The Inquirer learned that Astrera had surrendered twice to the authorities during the heat of the police drug campaign last year.

Refran was also a former drug surrenderer.