SAP aid beneficiary busted in Lucena drug bust

LUCENA CITY — A beneficiary of government cash aid for those who lost sources of income due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdown was arrested in a drug operation here early Monday.

Lieutenant Colonel Romulo Albacea, Lucena police chief, reported that anti-narcotic agents caught Angelo Aniban, 56, after he sold a pack of “shabu” (crystal meth) to an undercover police officer in a transaction in Barangay (village) Silangang Mayao at 6 a.m.

Authorities seized seven plastic sachets of shabu with an estimated street value of P48,000.

Police tagged Aniban as a rookie in the illegal drug trade.

He was also reported to be on the list of beneficiaries of the Social Amelioration Program designed to help daily wage earners and the poor survive lockdowns imposed to prevent COVID-19 transmission.

The suspect is facing charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.