BACOLOD CITY – Police seized 3.610 kilograms of the hallucinogenic magic mushroom worth P361,000 from three persons, including a couple, in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Cabug here on Monday, July 17.
Arrested were Diane Tolmo, 35, her live-in partner Fierre Santillana, and Tolmo’s brother Franz Jovi, 26, all residents of Barangay Cabug.
Police Major Joery Puerto, head of Police Station 5, said the older Diane was the subject of the operation.
Suspects were arrested after her younger brother allegedly offered a magic mushroom to a police poseur-buyer during the operation, he added.
Puerto said the magic mushroom can be used as party drugs like Ecstacy, thus, it is not safe for consumption.
He said that according to Franz Jovi, the mushrooms came from Don Salvador Benedicto (DSB) in Negros Occidental.
Franz Jovi is processing and disposes them online or through a courier service provider, Puerto added.
Puerto said that others might claim that the magic mushroom has a medical effect, but he warned the public that this has not been proven yet.
Also confiscated from them were 13 grams of suspected shabu worth P88,400.
Puerto said that Diane’s older brother is back in jail for a drug offense after he was arrested here last March.
He said that Santillana, who was also previously jailed for the same offense, is now back behind bars.
He said that Franz will be charged for violation of Republic Act (RA) 9711 or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Act of 2009, and another charges for conspiracy in relation to RA 9165 or Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, while the couple will also be facing drug charges.