9 arrested in Leyte drug busts

The illegal drug and paraphernalia that was found from an inmate at the male dormitory of BJMP Tacloban City during Operation Greyhound Monday. ROBERT DEJON/INQUIRER VISAYAS

A drug suspect undergoes a booking proceeding in Leyte. ROBERT DEJON/INQUIRER VISAYAS

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte—Nine persons, including a detainee and an online teacher, were arrested in separate anti-illegal drug operations conducted by the members of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in this city.

These operations conducted from April 13 to 17 resulted in the confiscation of 11 sachets of methamphetamine or shabu with combined value of P51,000.

Among those arrested was Bronson Nicol, a detainee at the Tacloban City Jail who was caught stashing a sachet of shabu weighing 1 gram valued at P8,000.

The contraband was discovered by the PDEA agents and personnel of the city jail hidden in the suspect’s bunk bed during an anti-drug operation on April 17 inside the facility at 10:05 a.m.

Also arrested during the series of sting operations conducted by the PDEA was Nelson Perante,50, a resident of Barangay (village) 50-A and said to be an online teacher.

Seized from the suspect and his cohorts—Jerry Japag, Harold Jim Tupas and Marlon Baluga—were five sachets of shabu weighing 0.37 grams with a value of P3,000.

Of these operations, the biggest haul seized by the PDEA agents were from Vicente Dueñas and Andy Ang who were in possession of eight sachets of shabu weighing 3.0 grams valued at P24,000.

Also arrested by the PDEA during these series of operations were Jericho Marquez and Antonio Bayarong, both vendors, who were in possession of three sachets of shabu valued at P8,000.

All the suspects are now detained at the Tacloban City lock-up cell while cases for selling and possession of illegal drugs were filed against them.