Cops nab 6 in anti-drug bust at Valenzuela motor repair shop

At least P75,000 worth of “shabu” (crystal meth) were seized from six men who were using a motorcycle repair shop as a drug den following a buy-bust operation in Valenzuela City on Friday.

Senior Supt. Ronaldo Mendoza, Valenzuela police chief, identified the suspects as Emmanuel Marinias, 29; Noelito Demetion, 45; John Carl Gatdula, 37; Egmadio Calixtro, 31; Manuel Abejo, 42; and Dennis Salvador, 37.

The sting’s target, Marinias, was on the police’s drugs watch list while Demetion was a surrenderee under the Philippine National Police’s “Oplan Tokhang” program, Mendoza said.

Marinias also owned the motorcycle repair shop along Lamesa Street, Barangay Ugong where the buy-bust took place at around 9:30 p.m., he added.

Meanwhile, Gatdula was previously arrested on drug charges in 2016 while Calixtro, Abejo and Salvador were regular patrons of the shop and frequent customers of Marinias for narcotics.

The suspects were all caught using meth inside the shop where police and agents from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency arrested them.

Recovered from their possession were 15 grams of shabu inside seven sachets and drug paraphernalia.

Also seized were two .38 revolvers and assorted parts of an M16 rifle replica allegedly owned by Marinias, the city police chief said.

The suspects face charges of violating Section 11 of Republic Act No. 9165 while Marinias will face charges of illegal possession of firearms. /jpv

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