GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- Anti-drug operatives in Region 12 have intensified their surveillance operations against emerging drug groups from other regions that have reportedly transferred to the area.
Valente Cariño, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Region 12 director, said Monday they have confirmed the presence here of alleged members of the Vencilao Drug Group based in the Caraga Region.
He said this came after the arrest over the weekend of two suspected members of the group in an entrapment operation in Barangay San Isidro.
Arrested were suspects Jhonel Jongko, 38, and Princess Mae Jacela, 30, who were temporarily residing at VSM Heights Subdivision-Phase 2.
The two were nabbed at around 7 a.m. Saturday at the vicinity of VCM Heights after allegedly conspiring to sell a sachet of suspected metamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu worth P5,000 to a PDEA-12 agent who posed as a buyer.
Also seized from the suspects were six more sachets of suspected shabu weihing about six grams and valued at P30,000 and marked bills used in the buy-bust.
“These suspects were previously based in Caraga and migrated here to continue with their operations,” Cariño told reporters.
He said the two reportedly moved to the area to avoid the manhunt launched by law enforcement operatives in Caraga.
Based on a report from PDEA-Caraga, which assisted the operation, Jongko and Jacela are included in the top 10 of their drug watch list.
Cariño said the recovered evidences from the suspects showed that they were into large-scale illegal drug transactions.
He said they are currently tracking down the other possible cohorts of the two and their links to other emerging drug groups based in the area.
The official said the suspects, who are detained at the PDEA-12 lockup here, would be charged with violation of sections 5 and 11 or selling and possession of dangerous drugs, under Article II of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.(AMS/PNA)
