3 suspects yield P288,000 in meth in Lucena drug busts

LUCENA CITY—Police arrested three suspects and seized at least P288,000 worth of shabu, or crystal meth, during buy-bust operations here on Tuesday (April 20), according to police.

Lt. Col. Romulo Albacea, Lucena police chief, said in a report that members of the city police’s anti-drug unit arrested Jerome Ombao, 29, after he sold a pack of meth to an undercover policeman in a sting operation at the village of Dalahican past 9 a.m.

Ombao, who was said to be on the police’s drug watch list, yielded 11 packets of meth with a street value of at least P273,360.

A team of operatives earlier also arrested Gilbert Manalo and his partner, Aridiza Manalo, in another buy-bust operation at the village of Cotta past 6 a.m.

Authorities seized seven packets of meth worth P15,300.

Police tagged the two as notorious drug pushers at the village.

The suspects were detained at the city police jail and are facing charges of violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

TSB