Police arrested four suspected members of a drug syndicate operating in Muntinlupa City and seized more than half a million worth of shabu during three separate buy-bust operations Thursday night in Barangay Putatan.
The police operations, according to Southern Police District director Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Peralta, is part of the continuing crackdown on drug dealing in Metro Manila.
Arrested were Herbert Ignacio, alias Tammy, 40, a resident of of Blk 1 Lot 22 Midland Subdivision, and Ramel Opague, alias Bato, 28, of Blk 23 Lot 5 Freewill Subdivision, both of Barangay Putatan; Martin Antazo, 35, of Blk 9 Lot 3 Ridgeview Subdivision, Paliparan II, Dasmarinas Cavite, and Florencio Romano, 31, of Wawa, Taguig City.
First to be arrested were Ignacio and Opague around 9:15 p.m. at Block 1 Lot 22 inside Midland Subdivision where the police recovered 54 grams of shabu worth P367,200 and the marked money used in the entrapment.
Around 9:45 p.m., members of the Muntinlupa Police Station Drug Enforcement Unit conducted another operation in the same area where they arrested Romano and confiscated three grams of shabu worth P20,400 and the buy-bust money.
After one hour, the authorities nabbed Antazo in Bayfair, also in Barangay Putatan, and recovered P129,200 worth of shabu from his possession and the money used in the police operation.
The seized drugs were immediately turned over to SPD Crime Laboratory for chemical analysis while the suspects were detained at the Muntinlupa City Police Station Custodial Facility.
The suspects will be charged with violation of Sections 5 (selling) and 11 (possession), Article II of RA 9165 also known as the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Peralta commended the Muntinlupa police station for the latest accomplishment and thanked the community leaders in the barangay for helping the authorities in catching the drug dealers.
He also encouraged the people to continue their support and remain vigilant against the dangerous drugs.
“Barangay Putatan of Muntinlupa City seems to have increased number of drug peddling aside from illegal gambling (Tupada). I encourage the citizens of Muntinlupa to report to us any illegal activities in your area for the arrest of these criminals, same is true with other areas of the Southern Metro. Let us help each other in crime solution and prevention and rest assured that your identities will remain confidential as what we have been doing. I congratulate the Muntinlupa City Police Station for another job well done,” said Peralta.