4 drug pushers fall in Lucena buy-busts, checkpoint

LUCENA CITY – Four suspected drug pushers were arrested in three separate operations in this city on Monday and Tuesday, police said.

Anti-illegal drugs operatives arrested Marissa Lagrason and Jenalyn Batad after they sold shabu (crystal meth) to a police agent in Barangay Gulang-Gulang at 12:50 a.m. Tuesday., Supt. Reydante Ariza, Lucena police chief, said in a report.

The suspects yielded 11 plastic sachets of shabu weighing 27.61 grams with an estimated Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) value of P51,000.

Police tagged the two suspects as among the few remaining big-time shabu peddlers in the area.

Authorities also collared Jason Torres, 39, in another buy-bust operation in Barangay 9 around 5:45 p.m. Monday.

Police seized two sachets of shabu weighing 5.44 grams with an estimated DDB value of P10,000.

The suspect also yielded one caliber .45 pistol, two magazines, and 13 bullets.

According to police, drug syndicates were supplying guns to some of their pushers for protection, aside from giving them free shabu for personal use, as incentives.

Another alleged drug pusher, Danilo Villaester, 44, was arrested in a police checkpoint along the Maharlika Highway in Barangay Ibabang Iyam around 6 p.m. Monday.

Police seized five sachets of shabu weighing 4.72 grams with an estimated DDB value of P8,700.