Authorities in Mabalacat City arrested an Australian national and six other drug suspects during a buy-bust operation that also dismantled a drug den in the city on Thursday night.
Gil Pabilona, director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Central Luzon, said Australian George Georgeff, 38, was caught inside the alleged drug den along with Roque Rosielda, 50; Arnold Padilla, 25; Emmanuel Gaddi, 39; Roland Geraldo, 29; Norman Rivera, 18; and Raddy Tabuso, 46, all residents of Mabalacat City.
Pabilona said Rosielda maintained the den and his group was known to be notorious in drug peddling in the city.
The operation, which PDEA carried out with the Philippine Air Force, yielded 11 pieces of plastic sachets containing 20 grams of suspected “shabu” (crystal meth) worth P136,000, various drug paraphernalia, and the marked money.
The suspects are now detained at the PDEA jail facility in the City of San Fernando while awaiting charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Acts of 2002. /lb