Police catch 14 suspects, over P1m in shabu in series of operations

By NITZ ARANCON
and LITO RULONA
Correspondents

POLICE arrested 14 drug suspects and seized over P1 million in suspected shabu in separate anti-narcotics operations here since Thursday night.

Chief Insp. Mardy Hortillosa, spokesperson of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office, identified nine of the suspects as Marivic Arias, 34, of Lapaz, Lapasan; William Yasay, 29, of Gumamela St., Carmen; Jay Polinar, 20, of Capas, Macanhan, Carmen; Nonain Dimangadap; Al Jade Ledesma, 28, of Zone 10, Carmen; Andrew Parajes, 32; Rogene Labanan, 22, of Macanhan, Carmen; Lawrence Baldo, 19; and Kirk Christian Talisayan of Acacia St., Carmen.

Police also caught Dexter Montes, 19, of St. John in Puntod; Roberto Amorio Jr., 40, of Macabalan; Ashley Roshana, 26, of Barangay Bulua; Cathy Reyes, 20,  of Malaybalay City; and Christian Chua a.k.a. Opaw of Barangay 11, this city.

Hortillosa said Arias was arrested during a buy-and-bust operation at La Paz in Lapasan at around 9 pm on Thursday. She allegedly yielded some 80 grams of suspected shabu with a street value of about P1 million, and a marked money of P1 thousand.

Police said Arias had 13 sachets and a bigger pack of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride.

Insp. Johnny Agutaya said a female officer was fielded to pose as a buyer.

“Mitabok na kita sa lain nga lugar para dili sila maka-notice sa mga police nga na-assign sa ilang lugar pag-monitor kanila,” he said.

Hortillosa said police subsequently arrested Yasay during a buy-and-bust operation on JV Serina St., Carmen at around 1 am yesterday.

Hortillosa said Dimangadap and Polinar were arrested while they were allegedly having a “session” inside Room G-6 of West Inn.

In follow-up  operation, police caught Ledesma in another “session” inside Room G-2 of the same inn. Hortillosa said Ledesma was with Parajes, Labanan, Baldo, and Talisayan.

Police said the suspects allegedly yielded marked money and suspected illegal substances.

All the suspects, caught by officers from the Cogon, Agora, Carmen police precincts and the Drug Enforcement Unit, were detained at the Maharlika headquarters. Charges are being prepared at presstime.

Police said Montes was arrested during an operation at Tulay Semento in Sitio Tabako, Barangay Puntod at around 9 pm Thursday. He allegedly yielded seven sachets of suspected shabu.

An hour later, officers caught Amorio in Piaping Puti, Macabalan, and seized two sachets of suspected shabu worth P45 thousand.

In a separate operation, police arrested Roshana, Reyes and Chua inside an inn along Velez Street. Carmen police deputy chief Senior Insp. Mario Mantala Jr. said police found three sachets of suspected shabu and drug paraphernalia in the room.