Gov’t employee, 2 others nabbed in Zambo anti-drug ops

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- A government employee tagged as a high-value target and two others were arrested while some PHP90,000 worth of illegal drugs were seized in separate buy-bust operations in Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula), police said Tuesday.

Maj. Helen Galvez, Police Regional Office 9 information officer, identified the arrested suspects as Joseph Llorente, 47; Christopher Arseña, 27; and Ferdiejay Ybañes, 21.

Galvez said Llorente was arrested in a buy-bust operation in Purok Malayan 1, Barangay Sta. Filomena, Dipolog City at about 9:40 p.m. on Monday.

Llorente, a government employee, has been tagged as a high-value target drug personality in Dipolog City, police said. He was arrested after allegedly selling a sachet of suspected shabu in exchange for PHP500 to an undercover policeman.

Recovered from Llorente’s possession were some PHP80,000 worth of suspected shabu packed in one large, one medium, and five small heat-sealed plastic sachets, marked money amounting to PHP500, PHP1,300 cash and other pieces of evidence, police said.

Areña and Ybañez, meanwhile, were arrested in another buy-bust operation in Barangay Camino Nuevo, this city at 12:10 a.m. Tuesday.

Confiscated from the two were some PHP10,000 worth of suspected shabu packed in four heat-sealed plastic sachets and marked money amounting to PHP200, police said.

Galvez said the suspects were detained while charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 are set to be filed against them. (PNA)