'High-value target' pusher falls in Koronadal City drug raid

GENERAL SANTOS CITY--Anti-drug operatives said they arrested another “high-value target” drug personality who yielded around P176,000 worth of illegal drugs in a raid on Thursday, in a village in neighboring Koronadal City.

Valente Cariño, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Region 12 director, said Friday suspect Eric Ponsalan Gorospe, 47, was nabbed during a search operation at his house in Purok Pag–ibig, Barangay Zone III in Koronadal City.

Backed by the Koronadal City police and the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council,  Cariño said the operation was based on a search warrant issued by a regional court for possession of illegal drugs.

Cariño said they recovered during the search five large and two small heat–sealed transparent plastic sachets containing suspected metamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu weighing around 26 grams and with an estimated street value of P176,800.

Also seized were a digital weighing scale, two improvised tooters, a mobile phone and two empty plastic sachets with suspected residue placed inside a red vacuum cleaner, he said.

The PDEA official said the suspect was a known drug pusher and also included in the police target list.

He said they subjected Gorospe, who was employed as a driver, to a series of surveillance operations prior to the operation.

Cariño added that the suspect, who is detained at the PDEA-12 lockup here, would be charged with violation of Sections 11 and 12 or possession of dangerous drugs and drug paraphernalia, under Article II of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. (PNA)