A 37-YEAR-OLD habitual drug offender and a butcher were arrested in separate buy-busts on Monday.
Suspect Christopher Diha, a resident of Leon Garcia Street, Gotamco, Agdao District, was arrested in an anti-drug operation conducted at San Roque. He was already apprehended in 2014 and released through plea bargaining in 2018.
“He is hard-headed and didn’t learn his lessons and that’s why he was busted again,” Maj. Sean Logronio, the commander of Talomo Police Station, said. “Actually, it took us a week of monitoring and surveillance since the suspect was quite evasive.”
Confiscated from his possession were two sachets containing alleged shabu with an estimated market value of P32,000. He is currently detained in the Talomo Police Station and will be charged for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.
Meanwhile, Logronio emphasized that they will continue their anti-drug operations despite the additional duties of the police officers on the health and safety protocols for COVID-19.
“Our recent arrests of drug personalities in the city should serve as a final warning to those who are involved in the illegal drug trade to stop now or face the consequences of their illegal actions,” he further said.
Talomo Police Station, one of the biggest police stations in the city, had deployed 85% of its total number of personnel for more visibility in the community.
Meanwhile, Patricio Bitoa Gildore, 41, butcher, and a resident of Shanghai Street, Matina Aplaya, was arrested in a sting operation in Purok 24, Times Beach, Ecoland Drive, at 6:30 p.m. on Monday.
Capt. Philip Dave Uddin, the commander of Marilog Police Station, said Gildore was under the Directorate for Intelligence watchlist.
He said they received a report from their informant about an alias Mitch who was selling shabu in Barangay Tamugan.
Operatives, led by Lt. Rechard Baldos under the direct supervision of Uddin, were on their way to area when they were contacted by their informant again that the suspect changed locations, this time in Bucana, Barangay 76-A. The suspect seemed to be taking extra caution as he again moved to Times Beach.
Gildore was arrested after handing over a sachet of shabu for P500. Police recovered drugs worth P7,000 from the suspect, along with another P2,000 cash. He is now under the custody of the Marilog Police Station.
