Three men yielded more than P390,000 worth of alleged shabu in three separate police operations conducted in the cities of Caloocan and Malabon early Sunday morning, July 3.
Col. Samuel Mina, Caloocan City Police Station (CCPS) chief, identified the first suspect as Ricardo Dela Cruz, 46, from Caloocan City, who was arrested in a buy-bust operation.
Operatives of the CCPS launched the entrapment operation along Sta. Cecilia Street, Brgy. 177, Maligaya Parkland in Caloocan City at around 1:30 a.m. after receiving a call from an informant about the suspect’s illegal drug activity in the area.
They arrested Dela Cruz after he was spotted handing over the “shabu” to an unidentified man (at-large). They recovered 50 grams of the said illegal drug worth P340,000 from the suspect.
Dela Cuz was also allegedly involved in robbery hold-up incidents in Caloocan City and other bordering areas, police said.
Another suspect was arrested after yielding more than P30,000 worth of “shabu” to the CCPS on the same day.
The suspect, Mario Ramirez, 45, also from Caloocan City, was nabbed at around 1:40 a.m. after he tried to escape from the police conducting the “Oplan Galugad” or search-operation along Intan Street in Brgy. 153.
CCPS operatives approached Ramirez to issue an ordinance violation receipt against him for not wearing facemask while in the area, however, he ran from the arresting officers which led to a brief chase.
The suspect yielded around 4.7 grams of alleged shabu worth P31,960.
Meanwhile, Malabon City Police Station (MCPS) personnel also confiscated four plastic sachets of alleged shabu worth P21,556 and arrested one man in a buy-bust operation held at the corner of C4 Road and Leono Street, in Barangay Tanong, Malabon City on Sunday.
Police identified the suspect as Mamuel Lacanilao, 37, from Navotas City, who was arrested at around 3:30 a.m.
The three suspects yielded a total of P393,516 worth of “shabu” and will be charged for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the “Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.”
Ramirez will also face charges for violations of City Ordinance No. 0862 or the mandatory wearing of facemask and Article 151 of the Revised Penal Code (Disobedience), police said.
Oplan Galugad is part of the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Simultaneous Enhancement Managing Police Operation (SEMPO) anti-criminality campaign against all forms of criminality including illegal drugs and violaton of Covid-19 health and safety protocols.