By LITO RULONA Correspondent AUTHORITIES arrested 18 people, including the wife of an Army soldier, during buy-and-bust operations in two suspected drug dens in Purok 2, Saray, Iligan City on Thursday evening. Adrian Alvariño, regional director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), identified the suspects as Ruthie Ann Caharian, 50, Joel Ambalong, 40, Henry Carsida, 18, DometeoPagapios, 45, Efren Angelo Ortiz, 22; JuvelMadula, 30, Farrel Jade Pontanar, 20, Dennis Ramirez, 22, Vicar Baba, 30, ConstancioTenequila Jr., 32; Ken Joel Edmilao, 32, Dante Benitez, 27, Kevin Pugoy, 23, LykaLaspinas, 28, ShielaCadutdut, 29, JeffordSembrino, 22, and two minors. Alvariño said the operations, carried out by PDEA and the police, resulted in the confiscation of suspected shabu estimated to have a street value of P800 thousand, marked money and drug paraphernalia. “The joint operation was conducted after we sensed that the area already has too many drug personalities,” he said. He said PDEA agents raided the suspected drug dens after they bought suspected shabu in the area from Caharian and Ambalong. Alvariño said Caharian, one of the arrested suspects, turned out to be the wife of a soldier. But Caharian questioned her arrest, saying PDEA agents and police officers carried out the raids without court-issued warrants. Caharian also denied that her house was being used as a drug den. She said law enforcers barged into her house while she and her daughter were watching television, and then they were told to get out. Subsequently, she said, a PDEA agent claimed that illegal drugs were found inside the house. Caharian has admitted to be a drug user but denied she sold shabu. Ambalong, for his part, admitted to selling illegal drugs because he needed extra money. He said he worked as a trisikaddriver and his income was not enough. All the arrested suspects were brought to the PDEA regional office in Cagayan de Oro. Charges are being prepared to be filed against them at presstime.