(Photo: Philippine National Police)
A retired police officer who had been under surveillance by the Philippine National Police Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (PNP-IMEG) was arrested in a buy-bust operation in Iriga City, Camarines Sur on Thursday night, July 16.
The suspect was identified as retired Police Staff Sergeant Richmond Ursus Turiano Bonnevie II, 45, formerly assigned to the Bicol Police Regional Office’s (PRO-5) Regional Communications and Electronics Unit 5 (RCEU5).
Bonnevie was nabbed after allegedly yielding P65,280 worth of suspected “shabu” or crystal meth in a buy-bust operation conducted by personnel of the Special Operations Unit 5 of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group (DEG) as the lead unit and other local police units in Camarines Sur, in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) at 8:58 p.m. in Barangay San Francisco, Iriga City.
“The subject was among the monitored retired PNP personnel under IMEG COPLAN 'DI-NA' due to information linking him to alleged involvement in the proliferation of illegal drugs,” a report reaching Camp Crame showed on Friday, July 17.
Authorities said the operation resulted in the seizure of four heat sealed transparent plastic sachets containing suspected shabu weighing about 9.6 grams with an estimated Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) value of P65,280.
Police also recovered one genuine P500 bill used as buy-bust money, five P1,000 boodle bills, a motorcycle ignition key, P507 in cash consisting of paper bills and coins, and a green disposable lighter from the suspect.
The retired policeman was placed under the custody of the Iriga City Police Station while charges for violation of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, are being prepared.