TANZA, Cavite -- A jail officer of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) assigned here, his common-law wife, and two others were caught sniffing “shabu” during a police anti-drugs operation on Wednesday evening.
Chief Insp. Dhefry Punzalan, Tanza police chief, identified the suspect as Senior Jail Officer II (SJO2) Melandro Platilla Lee, 54, a member of BJMP-Tanza escorting team, and resident of Lot 5, Phase 2, Carissa Homes in Barangay Bagtas.
Lee, together with his live-in partner, Millet Tac-al Tulipas, 54; Marvin Tamaca Palomino, 25, a construction worker and Domingo Romero Padilla, 43, all residents of Carissa Homes in Barangay Bagtas were caught in the act of sniffing 'shabu' inside the jail officer’s residence.
Police anti-illegal drug enforcers seized during the operation a small heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet containing suspected shabu, various drug paraphernalia, Norinco .a 45-caliber pistol bearing Serial No. BA02090, two magazines of same caliber and 15 live ammunition.
According to Punzalan, they were tipped off by concerned citizen on the illegal drug activities in the area involving the jail officer, who is to retire two years from now.
He said the Tanza law enforcers immediately proceeded to the jail officer’s residence and caught the suspects red-handed engaged in a drug session.
The four were brought to the police station for proper disposition while the confiscated “shabu” and drug paraphernalia were brought to Cavite Crime Laboratory for examination. (Dennis Abrina/PNA)
