‘ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) have arrested four people and seized more than PhP300,000 worth of illegal drugs in separate buy-bust operations in the region, an official reported Saturday.
PDEA Regional Director Lyndon Aspacio identified the arrested suspects as Frangie Franca, 36; Michael Jumuad, 35; Earl Jones Ricafort, 31; and, Omar Jalali, 31.
Aspacio said Franca was arrested at around 2 p.m. Friday at the corner of Estaka and Echavez Streets, Barangay Estaka, Dipolog City.
Franca was arrested after he sold to an undercover PDEA agent a sachet of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride locally known as shabu in exchange for PhP1,000.
Confiscated from the suspect were more or less 50 grams of shabu packed in one big and five medium-sized plastic sachets worth PhP300,000 and PhP1,000 marked money.
Aspacio said Jumuad was arrested around 9 a.m. Friday in Barangay Banonong, Dapitan City.
Confiscated from Jumuad’s possession were .05-gram of suspected shabu worth PhP500 and PhP500 marked money.
Ricafort, who is included in the drug watch list of the PDEA, was arrested at around 5:10 p.m. Friday at Purok Orchids, Barangay Poblacion, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.
Seized from his possession were 0.4-gram of suspected shabu worth PhP1,200 and PhP200 marked money.
Aspacio said Jalali was arrested around at 4 p.m. Friday along Lustre Street, Barangay Sta. Barbara, Zamboanga City.
Recovered from Jalali’s possession five grams of suspected shabu worth PhP18,500, illegal drugs paraphernalia, and PhP500 marked money.
Aspacio said charges for violation of Article II of Republic Act 9165 otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 will be filed against the arrested suspects.
Aspacio said that policemen assisted them in the conduct of the buy-bust operations except for the one they conducted in Zamboanga City. (PNA)
