CAMP FLORENDO, La Union – Police seized marijuana valued at P3 million from eight suspected drug pushers in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Antonino, Balaoan, La Union on Friday, April 5.
BALAOAN town center. (Wikipedia)
Police Brig. Gen. Lou F. Evangelista, Ilocos police director, identified the suspects as Romualdo Sayarot, 26; Jerome Pakingan, 27; Ramir de Castro, 40; John Eric Rejis, 38; Rizza Geronimo, 42; Rizza Geronimo, 42, Anthony Pantoja, 42, and Jeffrey Bao-an, 30.
Evangelista said the suspects were high-value individuals in the illegal drugs trade.
The suspects yielded three bricks of dried marijuana leaves, 21 packs of dried marijuana leaves, one bag of dried marijuana leaves weighing 25 kilos worth P3 million, an Uzi 9mm caliber sub-machine gun, and a box of bullets.
Suspects and pieces of evidence are under the police custody. They face drug-related cases.
Evangelista commended lawmen for their achievement and assured that the anti-illegal drugs campaign continues without letup.
The day before, Thursday, April 4, police caught a farmer, Mario Pedro, from Santol, in a buy-bust operation in Barangay San Pablo, Balaoan.
Recovered from the suspect were dried marijuana leaves, fruiting tops, and stalks weighing one kilo and valued at P120,000.