Man with gun leads police to drug den in Lucena City

LUCENA CITY – The arrest of a man for illegal possession of a gun led to the discovery of a drug den in a hotel here on Saturday, police said Sunday.

Senior Supt. Rhoderick Armamento, Quezon police provincial director, said gun suspect Jordan Peñaflor unwittingly led policemen to a room at Greenview Hotel in Barangay Ibabang Iyam where four people were caught sniffing shabu.

Armamento identified the alleged drug users as Monique Florendo, 21; Stephany Brian, 21; Richon Manigbas, 25, and Anthony Gabaleo.

Supt. Arturo Brual Jr., Lucena police chief, said a team of undercover policemen was conducting intelligence monitoring when they spotted Peñaflor on a motorcycle with a handgun tucked in his waist.

They followed Peñaflor and saw him enter Greenview Hotel.

When the suspect sensed that he was being followed, he ran towards one of the hotel rooms.

Police collared Peñaflor as he entered the room, where lawmen  stumbled upon Florendo, Brian, Manigbas and Gabaleo allegedly having a pot session.

Peñaflor yielded an unlicensed cal-.38 revolver with six bullets and three small plastic sachets of “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride).

The other suspects yielded three more small plastic sachets of shabu and drug paraphernalia. The recovered “shabu” weighed 2.4 grams worth P4,440.

The suspects are detained at the Lucena police jail. CBB/rga