A Grade 11 student and three other drug suspects were arrested and some P510,000 worth of suspected shabu were seized from them during a buy-bust operation in Tondo, Manila, police said on Tuesday, Sept. 19.
The Manila Police District (MPD)-Raxabago Police Station (PS-1) identified the Grade 11 student as Raniel Lunado, 19, a resident of Balut, Tondo.
The other suspects were identified as Fernando Montoya, 25, a junk collector; Ronnie Loyo, 28, a tricycle driver; and George De Jesus, 56, all residents of Tondo.
Prior to their arrest, police said that a Regular Confidential Informant (RCI) informed the PS-1, Station Drug Enforcement Unit (SDEU), that he made a deal with an illegal drug seller and will be transacting on Sept. 17 in Clariben Compound Alley, Barangay 123 in Tondo.
The authorities immediately conducted a buy-bust operation in the area that resulted in the arrest of Loyo, the drug seller, after the transaction was successfully made.
The poseur buyer was able to buy from the suspect a small sachet of suspected shabu.
Aside from the small sachet of shabu, police also confiscated from the drug seller another small and a large plastic sachet.
Meanwhile, Loyo's cohort, Lunado, was also arrested and confiscated from him was a medium plastic sachet containing suspected shabu.
Lunado's buyers were also arrested during the buy-bust and confiscated from them were small and medium plastic sachets containing shabu.
Authorities said that all the confiscated shabu had a total weight of 75 grams and a value of P510,000.
The suspects are now detained at PS-1 and will face charges for violations of Section 5 and Section 11 of Article 11 of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.