Fish vendor selling drugs held in Mindoro

SAN PEDRO CITY–A fish vendor from Puerto Galera town in Oriental Mindoro province was arrested Thursday after he was caught selling illegal drugs, police said.

Anti-narcotics agents and the local police recovered four sachets of suspected shabu from suspect Bonifacio Baticos de Villa, 55, a fish vendor from Barangay Santa Clara in Batangas City.

De Villa was arrested around 10 a.m. Thursday in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Sabang, a known diving spot in the tourist town of Puerto Galera.

“According to the (Puerto Galera) police chief, the suspect would trade the drugs along with his fish” said Supt. Imelda Tolentino, regional spokesperson of the Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan police.

She said de Villa’s alleged source of illegal drugs was in Batangas province and that he would transport them on his fishing boat by covering the drugs with fish. /lb