Agents of Davao City Police Office (DCPO) seized over P1 million worth of shabu from a couple in an alleged buy-bust operation, initially set in the city but later transferred to Tagum City, Davao del Norte, early yesterday dawn.
DCPO Director Col. Alexander Tagum identified the suspects as Tagum City residents Michael Madelo Duarte, 37, of Barangay Madaum, and Catherine Flores Catamora, 24, of Barangay Canocotan.
Tagum said the suspects are newly identified drug pushers and the arrest was a result of the good partnership of DCPO and Task Force Davao (TFD) in the intensified campaign against illegal drugs.
The operation was jointly conducted by drug enforcement agents of the Bunawan Police Station under Maj. Noel Villahermosa and the agents of TFD-Lasang checkpoint under Capt. Jonathan Sarausas.
Villahermosa said transaction was initially set in Bunawan but the suspects later changed it to Tagum.
The final deal was set in North Eagle 1 Subdivision, where Catamora is residing.
An undercover officer was able to buy a sachet of shabu for the two suspects.
As Catamora reportedly received the marked money, Duarte allegedly handed over a sachet containing substance believed to be shabu, weighing 0.2 gram, to the police poseur buyer.
Tagum said they immediately arrested the suspects.
Operatives found 12 sachets of shabu, with street value of P1.088 million from Duarte’s possession.
Tagum said a black cellular phone, allegedly used in shabu transaction, was also confiscated.
While the two are newly identified drug pushers, they were considered as “high impact” players based on the amount of recovered items from them, Villahermosa said.
“They are distributing illegal drugs in Davao del Norte and in Davao City,” the Bunawan police chief said. “That is why we conducted an operation against them.”
The suspects are detained at the Bunawan Police Station pending the filing of proper charges against them for violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).
