By Alexandria San Juan
More than P1.3 million worth of shabu were seized from five drug suspects including a 17-year-old boy during a joint buy-bust operation in a shopping mall in Pasay City on Tuesday afternoon.
Arrested in the drug sting were Jerica Dayao, 26, a resident of Bacoor, Cavite, Yna Ramos, 23, a registered psychometrician from Pasay City, Nicole Yamzon, 21, and Andre Mojica, 22, both from Makati City, and their 17-year-old cohort.
The group was nabbed by the combined operatives of Quezon City Police District's Cubao Police Station (PS-7), Pasay City police, and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-National Capital Region Office (PDEA-NCRO).
According to authorities, the operation was an offshoot of a previous buy-bust in Barangay Commonwealth, Quezon City last October 24 that led to the arrest of Adolf Vinluan and Maverick Rioveros.
The arrested suspects, who also yielded more than P1.3 million worth of shabu, pointed to Dayao as their source of illegal drugs.
This prompted the police to conduct a follow-up drug bust against the suspect. An undercover officer transacted with Dayao and her group at the parking area of the mall around 4:40 p.m. resulting in their arrest.
Confiscated from the group were sachets of shabu weighing at least 200 grams with an estimated street value of P1,360,000, a mobile phone, and the buy-bust money.
The arrested suspects are now under police custody and will be facing drug-related charges, while the minor was turned over to the QC-Social Services and Development Department (SSDD) for proper intervention.