Ex-cop, 5 others fall in Zamboanga anti-drug ops

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Police and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) operatives arrested a former policeman and five others and seized  from them PHP51,400 worth of illegal drugs in separate anti-drug operations here in the region, an official said Thursday.

Arrested were Robert Gaco, 30; Junie Espania, 27; Randy Lukmani, 35; Albaser Usman, 37; Kaiser Abdulhan, 41, a former policeman; and, Jane Santos, 18.

Maj. Helen Galvez, Police Regional Office-9 (PRO-9) information officer, said Gaco and Espania were caught in possession of some PHP34,000 worth of suspected shabu when arrested in a buy-bust operation by joint police and PDEA agents around 9 p.m. Wednesday at a hotel Barangay Paglaum, Dumalinao, Zamboanga del Sur.

Seized from their possession were five grams of suspected shabu and the PHP19,000 buy-bust money.

The suspects were placed under the custody of the PDEA while charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 is set to be filed against them.

Lukmani, meanwhile, yielded some PHP1,500 worth of suspected shabu packed in five plastic sachets when arrested in another buy-bust operation around 2 p.m. Wednesday in Sitio Sivictol, Barangay Arena Blanco, this city, police said.

Recovered from the possession of Lukmani were PHP200 marked money consisting of two PHP100 bills, police said.

Usman and Abdulhan were arrested in possession of some PHP15,000 worth of suspected shabu packed in 11 plastic sachets around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in Love Drive, Barangy Campo Islam, this city.

Also seized from them were PHP200 marked money comprising of two PHP100 bills.

Santos, meanwhile, was arrested around 3:30 a.m. Thursday in Summer Hill Drive, Barangay San Roque, this city.


Galvez said confiscated from the possession of Santos were at least  PHP900 worth of dried marijuana leaves packed in nine heat-sealed plastic sachets and PHP100 marked money. (PNA)