Top Metro Manila drug dealer falls

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) arrested on Friday Metro Manila’s top drug dealer.

According to PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino, Henry Dimagmaliw, 43, is allegedly the leader of the Velasquez drug syndicate, and is No. 1 in the list of drug personalities of the agency’s National Capital Region office.

Search warrant

Aquino said Dimagmaliw was arrested around 10:30 a.m. on Friday, following the service of a search warrant at his house in Velasquez Street, Tondo, Manila.

Antidrug operatives seized some P750,000 worth of “shabu” (crystal meth), drug paraphernalia, a 9mm pistol, and ammunition.

Also nabbed in PDEA’s joint operation with the Manila Police District was Dimagmaliw’s younger brother, Allan, who is also—according to the agency’s director general—in the narcotics watch list, and a Hydie Dimagmaliw.

Apart from some 150 grams of shabu, seized from the Dimagmaliws were some P14,000 cash, four mobile phones, a digital weighing scale, and two vehicles that the PDEA claimed the suspects use in allegedly selling narcotics.

Buy-bust operation

The suspects are now in the custody of the PDEA-NCR office pending the filing in the Manila prosecutor’s office of charges of violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and the Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition against them.

In Valenzuela City, a 36-year-old woman alleged to be a drug pusher, along with her two teenage sons and seven others, were arrested after engaging police in a shootout during a buy-bust operation on Thursday.

PO3 Robin Santos, investigator on case, identified the sting’s target as Judy Mercado Aldas, who has a standing arrest warrant issued by Judge Arthur Melicor of Valenzuela Regional Trial Court Branch 284 for violating Sections 6 and 13 of Republic Act No. 9165.

Aldas was also on the Valenzuela police’s drug watch list.

Also detained were Aldas’ 18- and 16-year-old sons who were allegedly smoking pot with seven others inside Aldas’ home in Barangay Gen T. De Leon.

One of the suspects, Jumer Maralit Biscocho, sustained a lone bullet wound to the chest after allegedly shooting at policemen trying to arrest them.

Around 2:50 p.m., police and PDEA agents went to Aldas’ house and posed as buyers.

They caught Aldas’ two sons; their 16-year-old female friend; Asuncion Reguindin, 28; Jeffrey Mandia, 31; Edward Pantaleon, 38; Julio Adriatico, 34; Alan Demaala; and Biscocho having a pot session inside the house .

Recovered from the scene were P200 in marked money, P5,000 worth of shabu, a .38-caliber revolver allegedly used by Biscocho and a fired cartridge case.

Drug den

In an interview, Aldas admitted that they regularly used her house as a drug den. She, however, denied being a user.

Those arrested will face charges of violation of RA 9165 while the 16-year-old girl will be turned over to the custody of the Department of Social Work and Development.

Biscocho will face charges of direct assault for firing at policemen, said SPO2 Felix Viernes, another case investigator.—WITH A REPORT FROM KRIXIA SUBINGSUBING