Zamboanga anti-drug ops net P150K illegal drugs, 7 nabbed

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Seven alleged drug personalities were arrested and some PHP150,000 worth of illegal drugs -- including marijuana -- were seized in separate anti-drug operations throughout the Zamboanga Peninsula region, police said Thursday.

Chief Insp. Arlan Delumpines, Zamboanga City Police Office’s Police Station 7 chief, identified the arrested suspects as Joven Enriquez, 38; Kevin Narzabal, 22; Jurent Lanit; Elrey Boy Alferez; Jonathan Laurence Garingo; John Paul Abalon; and James Raymond Laput.

Delumpines said Enriquez was arrested in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Pasonanca, this city at about 2 p.m. Thursday.

However, he said Enriquez’s companion -- Joseph Jalon -- who was the target of the anti-drug operation, managed to elude arrest.

Delumpines said seized from Enriquez’s possession were some PHP30,000 worth of suspected “shabu” packed in heat-sealed plastic sachets.

Meanwhile, Chief Insp. Joseph Ortega, Dipolog City police chief, said Narzabal was arrested in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Sta. Filomena, in the saif city at about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Ortega said confiscated from Narzabal’s possession were some PHP70,000 worth of dried marijuana leaves and plants, PHP500 in marked money, PHP140 in proceeds money, and several illegal drug paraphernalia.

He said Narzabal was arrested by a joint team of policemen and agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

Ortega said Lanit, Alferez, Garingo, Abalon, and Laput were arrested in another buy-bust operation in Barangay Miputak, Dipolog City at about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Seized from them were PHP35,000 worth of suspected shabu packed in seven heat-sealed plastic sachets, PHP15,000 worth of dried marijuana leaves packed in six plastic sachets, and PHP500 in marked money.

Police are set to file appropriate charges against the suspects. (PNA)