Leyte jail guard, 4 others nabbed, P5M worth of shabu seized

TACLOBAN CITY–The anti-narcotics agency arrested a provincial jail guard and his four companions who were caught possessing close to P5 million worth of shabu.

Renato Saratan, 44, jail guard at the Leyte sub-provincial jail in Baybay City, was collared inside a motel in nearby Palo town.

Also arrested were Saratan’s girlfriend, Evelyn Suarez, 35;  Caesar Quijano, 55; Ronilo Ruiz, 32; and Kevin Mark Kapas, 20.

The five were temporarily detained at the PDEA-8 office pending filing of charges for illegal possession and selling of the illegal drugs.

Rogelette Urgel, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Eastern Visayas information officer, said the suspects came from Southern Leyte and checked in at Borderline, a motel located in Barangay Pawing, Palo.

“There was surveillance conducted and there were reports that while they were at the Borderline, they were selling the prohibited drugs,” Urgel said.

About 6:30 a.m. on Thursday  PDEA agents pretended to be buyers and bought  illegal drugs from Saratan.

Found in their possession were two plastic sachets of  shabu, weighing 623 grams, with a market value of P4.98 million.

The drug haul was the biggest in Leyte this year. CDG/rga

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