Anti-drug op in Iloilo night spot nabs pusher
Agents from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) arrested yesterday dawn a pusher during a buy bust operation in the City’s foremost night spot in Mandurriao district.
PDEA officer-in-charge regional director, Paul Ledesma told The News Today they recovered a ‘big sachet’ of methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, from Troy Prevendido, 23 years old, of Brgy. Desamparados, Jaro, following a buy bust operation past midnight yesterday at the Smallville Complex.
He estimates the illegal drug recovered weighed not more than a gram, which is the usual size for retail. The PDEA is waiting for the report of their laboratory on its examination of the item recovered.
Also recovered from Prevendido were the marked money amounting to P1,500, P3,000 in cash believed to be proceeds from sale of illegal drugs, and a mobile phone. Prevendido is now detained at the Mandurriao police station. He will be charged with violation of RA 9165, the country’s anti-narcotics law.
Ledesma said that Prevendido was filling in for his cousin, John Rey, who was arrested months ago after he sold shabu to a female PDEA agent inside a motel.
They’re the ones supplying shabu in the Smallville complex; that’s their territory, the PDEA regional chief said in a phone interview yesterday.
Ledesma said that they have been particularly interested with the illegal drug trade within the Smallville Complex because of the nightlife there. That is where people go to party at night, he said.
Yesterday’s operation was already the fourth to be conducted in the Smallville area for this year, the PDEA said.
The string of anti-narcotics actions, during which shabu was recovered in three of the four operations, vindicates PDEA’s claim of a massive illegal drug trade in the area, an allegation which the Philippine National Police had denied.
Meanwhile, Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 Director Chief Supt. Isagani Cuevas said they have intensified the campaign against illegal drugs because of the coming school opening Monday next week.
Chief Supt. Cuevas said they were closely coordinating with the PDEA-6 in the campaign against illegal drugs as mandated under Republic Act 9165.
“The police will implement the law against illegal drugs. The police officers will apprehend anyone found to be in flagrante de licto or red handed with drugs,” Cuevas said.
The PRO 6 director said their intensified campaign against illegal drugs was specially intended to prevent illegal drug traders from preying on students who were just new in the city for their schooling. (PNA)