Top drug suspect in Tacloban nabbed

INQUIRER FILES

TACLOBAN CITY — Police arrested an alleged top regional illegal drug dealer and seized P14.28 million worth of shabu in a buy-bust operation on Monday, Nov. 18, in Barangay 62-B in this city.

Jade Isanan, 38, a native of Las Piñas, did not resist.

He is facing charges of possession and selling of illegal drugs, violations under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

“This successful operation underscores our commitment to making the community safer and stronger. I commend the dedication and teamwork of everyone involved,” said Col. Noelito Getigan, Tacloban’s police director, in a statement.

He called on the community and local governments to work closely with law enforcement agencies in combating illegal drugs.

Lieutenant Colonel Allan Camasin, Tacloban City police information officer, said Isanan had been involved in illicit drug activities for years and frequently traveled to Laguna, where he reportedly sourced the contraband.

“He has been tagged as our top priority, and it’s a major win to have arrested him. Just imagine if he had managed to distribute the shabu in his possession,” Camasin said in a radio interview.

The buy-bust, conducted in cooperation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), involved a poseur-buyer who successfully purchased suspected shabu worth P82,000 from Isanan.

After the transaction, authorities apprehended the suspect and seized about 2.2 kilograms of the illegal substance placed in 44 sachets.