MANILA -- Authorities seized PHP3.4 million worth of shabu and arrested three suspects in a buy-bust operation in Pasay City early Wednesday.
Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, National Capital Region Police Office director, identified the suspects as Graciano Rombo, 34; Roderick Pisig, 35; and Alican Pagayaw, 31.
Seized from them were five packs of suspected shabu, each containing 100 grams of the substance; two units of cellular phones, and a sports utility vehicle with license plate NAC-9054.
Eleazar said the operation, which occurred at the parking area of Harbor Square near the Cultural Center of the Philippines, started when an asset of the NCRPO-Regional Drugs Enforcement Unit was able to contact the suspects to purchase some 200 grams of shabu.
“The transaction is supposedly in one of the condominiums in Parañaque City but since it was too close to Camp Bagong Diwa, the suspects changed their plans and venue,” Eleazar said.
As soon as the transaction was completed at around 1:45 a.m., the policemen announced the arrest of the three suspects.
During the investigation, Eleazar said that they found out that the illegal drugs came from Cavite, with some tenants of condominiums as buyers.
“The arrested suspects are operating in the southern part of Metro Manila. Their modus operandi is to deliver illegal drugs to the pushers who are mostly tenants of different condominiums in Metro Manila,” Eleazar said.
“They are now using condominium units as hideouts to protect and avoid any detection of their illegal activities due to strict security measures,” he added.
Eleazar, meanwhile, lauded the cooperation of the security managers of condominiums that resulted in the arrest of three suspected drug pushers, citing that these resulted in various successful operations in the past.
"With the cooperation of the condominium managements, we are able to conduct buy-bust operation in the past that resulted in the arrest of drug personalities. So we are appealing to them to continue doing so,” he stressed.
Eleazar explained that the cooperation of the condominium managers and security officers is also vital to the safety of all their tenants and the reputation of their business. (PNA)
