Trike driver, nephew caught using ‘shabu’

A TRICYCLE driver and his nephew were caught allegedly sniffing shabu in barangay Tangke, Talisay City, southern Cebu.

Police said Jerome Mabala, 33, of barangay Cansojong, Talisay, and Leonilo Reyes, 43, of barangay San Roque, Talisay, were caught inside a house in sitio Magay yesterday morning.

The houseowner eluded arrest, police said.

Members of Talisay City police swooped down on the house in sitio Magay after receiving a report about an ongoing illegal drug transaction, PO3 Benedicto Lasque said.

In barangay Marigondon, Lapu-Lapu City, two live-in partners and their friend were arrested by police in a drug buy-bust operation on Tuesday night.

Arrested were couple Regimar Aton, 24, and Jocelyn Gayo, 20, and their 22-year-old friend Rogelio Daño.

Insp. Gaspar Magdadaro, deputy chief of Marigondon police, said that since last year, they have been receiving reports about the suspects’ alleged illegal drug activities.

On Tuesday night, a police asset acted as a buyer and bought a sachet of suspected shabu worth P200 from the suspect.

Police moved in when the shabu and money changed hands.

Police recovered the buy-bust money from Aton, while four sachets believed to contain shabu were seized from Gayo. Daño yielded drug-sniffing paraphernalia, police said./CORRESPONDENTS GABRIEL C. BONJOC AND NORMAN V. MENDOZA