PDEA arrests businessman, seizes P.5-M shabu

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)

KORONADAL CITY – Anti-narcotics agents arrested a businessman tagged as a high value target by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and seized from him P500,000-worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu.

In a raid conducted on Sunday, PDEA agents and operatives from Joint Task Force GenSan and the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) arrested Ruel Espinoza, 54, and seized from his residence some 100 grams of shabu with an estimated street value of half a millions pesos.

PDEA Director for Central Mindanao Gil Castro said the raiding team also seized from Espinoza, a resident of Vallejo Subdivision in Barangay Gen. Paulino Santos, two M-4 rifles with ammunition, digital weighing scale, a rifle grenade, a .45 caliber pistol, a .22 caliber pistol and an air gun.

Castro said Espinoza belonged to the El Patron Group, a drug syndicate operating in Koronadal City and General Santos City.

Espinoza will be charged for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act and Republic Act 10591 or Illegal Possession of Firearms and Explosives.

Meanwhile, police anti-narcotics agents raided early Monday the house of a town mayor in South Cotabato but found no illegal drugs.

Tampakan town Mayor Leonardo Escobillo was surprised when lawmen armed with search warrant issued by Judge Alandrex Betoya, of the Regional Trial Court in Kabacan, North Cotabato barged into his house at past 3 a.m. Monday.

“I am not a drug lord. I am not into illegal drugs. I don’t drink nor smoke. I have a gun but that is licensed,” Escobillo told reporters. KGA