Pharmacy owner nabbed for illegally selling Nubain

A pharmacy owner allegedly involved in the illegal sale of Nubain, a regulated painkiller, was arrested in a buy-bust operation yesterday afternoon.

Napoleon Ricamora, a registered nurse and owner of Nars Paharmacy, was arrested after a brief chase with police.

Also arrested was Ricamora’s alleged cohort, Calvin Klein Cañete.

Police said the suspects met an agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) who acted as a poseur-buyer during the operation in barangay Capitol Site, Cebu City.

The transaction took place near a hospital.

Police said it was Cañete who approached the poseur-buyer while Ricamora stayed in a Toyota Fortuner SUV.

Cañete allegedly handed over 30 ampules of Nubain worth P9,600 to the PDEA agent. Ricamora then got off the SUV and joined in the transaction.

PDEA operatives moved in when the poseur-buyer handed over the P5,000 marked money to the suspects.

PDEA agents cornered Cañete but Ricamora was able to run to his car and drove off.

Warning shots were fired but Ricamora continued driving.

Operatives of the Investigation and Detective Management Branch, Special Weapons and Tactics and Mobile Patrol Group group spotted Ricamora’s car at the Cebu Business Park.

Police chased Ricamora and cornered him in barangay Mabolo. Ricamora was later turned over to the police.

Levi Ortiz, deputy regional director of PDEA-7, said the buy-operation was made after they confirmed that Ricamora was illegally selling Nubain in a test-buy last Jan. 14.

Nubain is a strong painkiller considered as a regulated drug. A doctor’s prescription is needed to buy the drug.

Ricamora insisted that he did nothing illegal since he was given a certification known as yellow card allowing him to sell Nubain.

But PDEA-7 information officer Jessie Tabanao said the sale was still illegal it was done outside a pharmacy./Correspondents Chito O. Aragon, Joy Cherry S. Quito and Tweeny M. Malinao