The top police official of Central Visayas on Thursday commended the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) for arresting three drug personalities who yielded a total of PHP6.5 million worth of illegal drugs in recent sting operations.
In a statement, Police Regional Office-Central Visayas (PRO-7) regional director, Brig. Gen. Ronnie Montejo, said all the three drug personalities arrested in different buy-bust operations here were considered high-value personalities who can supply a high volume of illegal drugs to Cebu villages.
He cited the close coordination among different law enforcement agencies, the intelligence and penology agencies as a factor that contributed much to the successful operations against drug personalities operating in Metro Cebu.
On Tuesday, the Cebu City Police Station 3, in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Central Visayas, arrested Michelle Engaña Sanchez, 31, a resident of Sitio Sampaguita, Barangay Tejero, here.
In separate operations on the same day, Manuel Requinto Rafols Jr. also known as “JR Mojako”, 33, was arrested by personnel of the police station 11 in his place in Sitio Tinabangay, Barangay Mambaling, this city.
On Wednesday, the CCPO City Intelligence Unit nabbed Roger Ramos Espi Jr. also known as “Lorenzo”, 28, in Sitio Omega, Barangay Sawang Calero here.
Rafols yielded the biggest haul among the three suspects as the police seized from him 800 grams of shabu worth around PHP5.4 million.
Recovered from Sanchez were 100 grams of shabu worth PHP680,000 while Espi yielded 55 grams of shabu worth PHP374,000.
In a press briefing Tuesday, CCPO chief Col. Josefino Ligan said Rafols was a former Cebu City Jail inmate who has a link with the “Jojo Sumayang drug group” reportedly operating behind bars.
Montejo assured the public that the police in the region will do more to strengthen anti-criminality operations, as he noted that drug personalities have not stopped their wicked activities even at the height of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
“Your police in Region 7 will be relentless in the battle against illegal drugs given the strong warning of President Rodrigo Duterte to the drug lords to stop their illegal activities,” the PRO-7 chief said.
Montejo said all the suspects will be facing charges for violating Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Source: Philippines News Agency