DRUG BUY-BUST. The items confiscated by agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Ilocos regional office from a traffic enforcer in Calasiao, Pangasinan and two others in an operation held Wednesday (Jan. 29, 2020). Among the recovered items were suspected shabu worth PHP340,000. (Photo courtesy of PDEA Pangasinan)
DAGUPAN CITY -- Some 50 grams of suspected shabu worth PHP340,000 were seized from a traffic enforcer of Calasiao town and two others in a buy-bust operation conducted by personnel of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Wednesday morning.
In an interview Thursday, PDEA agent Retchie Camacho said the suspects, Christopher Villa, 44; Elron Palomata, 20; and Aaron James Andaya, 20, were arrested in the Old de Venecia Highway in Barangay Lucao here.
Villa is an enforcer working under the Calasiao Public Order and Safety Office (POSO), Andaya is a businessman, while Palomata is unemployed.
“We have done surveillance on the suspects after several confirmed tips, which eventually led to the operation,” Camacho said.
Aside from the suspected sachets of illegal drugs, a sling bag was also confiscated, which contained several illegal drugs paraphernalia such as empty plastic sachets and tooters, and 199 pieces of PHP1,000 boodle money that was used in the operation, he said.
A motorcycle, being used by one of the suspects, was also recovered along with a cellphone and a tablet.
The suspects and the confiscated items were brought to the PDEA Regional Office in San Fernando City, La Union for laboratory tests.
“We will continue our relentless operation to rid our area of illegal drugs,” he added. (PNA)
