Anti-drug operatives dismantled an alleged drug den and arrested five suspected drug pushers and users in a joint raid in a village here on Wednesday night.
Naravy Duquiatan, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Region 12 director, said Thursday the drug den was found during a search operation around 8:25 p.m. in a house in KPS Zone 1, Barangay Labangal.
She said they recovered at the scene two large plastic sachets containing about six grams of suspected shabu valued at PHP40,800, lighters, aluminum foil strips, a bamboo sealer, and a pair of scissors.
Arrested were live-in partners Joel Bagat, 48, and Joy Regenio, the alleged owners and maintainers of the drug den.
“The house was frequently visited by drug users and pushers in the area,” Duquiatan said in a report.
The operating team, composed of elements from PDEA enforcement units and city’s Police Station 2, also rounded up three “visitors” of the den identified as Lovely Villegas, 21; Gelyn Mongkil, 27; and Marlyn Dela Cruz, 21, all are residents of the city.
Duquiatan said Regenio was arrested by police operatives in January 2017 for illegal drug peddling and was jailed until February 2019.
“She went back to her illegal drug business early this year,” she said.
Regenio and Bagat will be charged with violation of Sections 6 (maintenance of a den), 11 (possession of dangerous drugs), and 12 (possession of drug paraphernalia), while the three other suspects with Section 7 (visitors of a den), under Article II of Republic Act 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Source: Philippines News Agency