Cops nab drug peddler; 50 grams of meth seized

ILIGAN CITY—Police arrested on Monday an alleged drug peddler in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Luinab here and confiscated some 50 grams of a substance believed to be shabu or crystal meth.

The raid was conducted by the Regional Special Operation Unit (RSOU) 10, Regional Intelligence Division and Iligan City Police Station (ICPS) 1 at Purok 9A of Barangay Luinab.

Lt. Col. Mardy Hortillosa, information officer of the northern Mindanao police office, identified the suspect as Jason Ybaṅez, 31, of Barangay Saray here.

Ybañez transacted with an undercover agent of the local police. From his house, Ybañez went to Luinab, five kilometers away, to deliver P1,500 worth of meth to his supposed customer.

He went through the checkpoints using his local government-issued quarantine pass.

When arrested, Ybañez yielded the pack of meth worth P1,500 and another one weighing 50 grams.

Police estimated the street value of the seized meth at P340,000.

Major Rixell Torayno, Iligan city police station 1 chief, said the suspect was arrested in Cagayan de Oro City in 2016 for selling illicit drugs but only served a short jail term as he entered into a plea bargaining agreement with government prosecutors.

Torayno said charges are being prepared against Ybaṅez who is temporarily detained at the police station.