3 ‘notorious’ drug suspects in QC nabbed in follow-up raids

Sixty-five people found staying in three drug dens in Quezon City were arrested and detained by the Quezon City Police District on Aug. 31, 2016. Seven sachets of shabu and drug paraphernalia were seized. (File photo by MARICAR BRIZUELA/INQUIRER)

MANILA — After the apprehension of 72 drug suspects on Wednesday afternoon, three “notorious” drug suspects were arrested in the second anti-drug operation at the Salaam Mosque Compound in Barangay Culiat, Quezon City on Saturday.

Jose Rance, 42; Eliazar Peniton, 57; and Cirelo Alpuerto, 45, fell into the hands of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Station 3 (Talipapa) policemen headed by the station chief, Supt. Danilo Mendoza, at around 5 p.m. on Saturday. All three were on the station’s watchlist of drug suspects.

The QCPD chief, Senior Supt. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, said the suspects were arrested after a “concerned resident” called up Station 3 and informed the authorities about continuing illegal drug activities in their barangay even after a police operation last Wednesday that raided three drug dens in the compound.

Policemen apprehended the suspects along Mujahaydin Street and seized from them 11 sachets of shabu, aluminum foil strips and other drug paraphernalia.

Although other drug suspects were able to evade arrest, 15 individuals who admitted being drug users also surrendered to the police during the operation.

Eleazar highlighted that in operations like this, the cooperation of citizens concerned for their communities has always been  important in fighting criminal activities. He said the QCPD would continue its effort to fight illegal drugs in the city especially after the declaration of a state of lawlessness by President Duterte.

“It behooves us not to taper down our anti-drug operations but to even intensify it, since a very large portion of lawlessness is caused by illegal drugs,” he noted.  SFM