2 women who continued lovers’ trade, arrested in shabu buy-bust

Shabu buy-bust. (CDN FILE PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

MANILA — Two women who had allegedly been continuing the illegal drug trade of their jailed partners, were arrested in a buy-bust operation on Thursday in Barangay Pinagbuhatan in Pasig City.

Senior Superintendent Romulo Sapitula, acting Eastern Police District director, said the District Special Operation Unit (DSOU) led by Chief Inspector Regie Lacsamana arrested Jennifer  De Guzman, 29,  and Jasmin Pontino, 28, from Marawi City, at Asilo Ville, Bolante 2, after selling a sachet of shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) to a police poseur buyer around  3 p.m.

Lacsamana said De Guzman, the subject of the operation, worked with her friend Pontino.

The two yielded 12 heat-sealed plastic sachets of shabu, with a street value of P50,000. Aside from the packet of shabu given to the poseur buyer during the transaction, a sachet of the illegal substance was hidden in a suspect’s bra; six sachets were hidden in a brown shoulder bag; while four sachets were in a coin purse.

Recovered also were the P500 buy-bust money, a pink coin purse, a brown shoulder bag and two identification cards from the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Sapitula said the two were on the city’s drug watch list and were under police surveillance prior to the arrest.

De Guzman has four children while Pontino has five. Both of their partners were detained at the Pasig City Jail for drug offenses.

“The two, who are both jobless, depend on drug pushing for income,” said Lacsamana, citing the police’s initial investigation.

De Guzman and Pontino are facing charges of violating Sections 5 and 12 of Republic Act 9165 or the law against illegal drugs.

Sapitula noted the rarity of arresting women drug pushers. A tactical investigation is ongoing for the identification of the two women’s cohorts and their connections to other dealers or syndicate.  SFM