BUY-BUST. Six drug suspects cover their faces after their arrest in a buy-bust operation in Consolacion, Cebu on Monday (Jan. 20, 2020). Maj. Verniño Noserale, town police chief, said more than a kilogram of shabu was seized in the operation. (Photo courtesy of Consolacion Police Station)
CEBU CITY -- At least PHP7-million worth of shabu was confiscated on Monday night from a woman and her live-in partner identified as street-level pushers in Consolacion town police’s watch list.
Maj. Verniño Bustillo Noserale, chief of the Consolacion Police Station, said more than a kilogram of shabu was seized from Jo-ann Calinpon Sanchez, 42, a resident of Sitio Bangkerohan, Barangay Tayud in Consolacion.
The police also arrested her live-in partner, RJ Jazon Paulin Jerosalem, 28, together with their alleged cohorts -- Jonaly Dinoy Bemtazal, 27, of Sun-ok, Cordova, Cebu; Jennifer Narido Flores, 21; Baby Ybañez Beldosola, 25; and Helen Pacala Cueva, 52, all residents of BarangayLorega San Miguel, Cebu City.
Noserale said they were surprised to confiscate a big pack containing a white substance believed to be shabu from the possession of Sanchez, noting that the suspect is not listed as a high-value target in the Police Regional Office (PRO-7) watch list.
Aside from the pack of illegal drugs seized from Sanchez, the police also confiscated six medium packs of shabu from Jerosalem, Bemtazal, Flores, Beldosola and Cueva.
The seized illegal drugs weighed 1.3 kilos with Dangerous Drugs Board value of PHP7,004,000.
Noserale said the operation was coordinated with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Central Visayas.
“After the arrest of the suspects, an inventory was conducted in the place of arrest duly witnessed by Councilman Jylian Cuyos of Barangay Tayud, Consolacion Cebu, Barangay Captain Fernando Orozco, a representative of the National Prosecution Service and a representative from the Cebu media,” Noserale said in a spot report sent to the Philippine News Agency.
He said Sanchez has been under a two-week-long surveillance that ended in the buy-bust operation.
The suspects are now detained at the Consolacion Police Station while charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 are being prepared for filing against them. (PNA)
