Police busted three suspected drug dealers and seized more than half a million pesos worth of shabu in two separate anti-narcotics operations in south Metro Manila.
Arrested were Jim Gonzales alias Brando, 28, a resident of Barangay Wawa, Taguig City; CJ Manansalay Manguere, 22, of Candelaria Street, Quezon Province, and Bienjamin Jeune Virtucio alias Bien of Barangay Pitogo, Makati City.
Elements of the Makati City Police Station conducted the entrapment operation along Sampaguita Street, Barangay Pembo, Makati City, around 3:50 p.m. on Thursday.
Seized from the suspects were 36 grams of shabu worth more than P238,000, a Chevrolet car with registration plate AAI 3167, 16 pieces of P1,000 in boodle money and the P1,000 cash used in the entrapment.
Meanwhile, 17 people including two Americans were arrested by anti-narcotics operatives during simultaneous raids at suspected illegal drug dens in Angeles City and in Marilao City in Bulacan on Thursday.
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director Christian Frivaldo said 10 suspected ‘users’ of illegal drugs were arrested in two separate drug dens along San Narciso Street in Barangay Malabanias and seven were rounded up in Northville in Lambakin, Marilao City.
Frivaldo identified the two Americans as Bryan Harris, 39, a native of Texas, and Lewis King Collins,39, from New York, both transients.
In Taguig City, 53 year-old Rowel Chan of Barangay Central Bicutan was also arrested.
The evidence recovered were 39 grams of shabu worth P270,000 during the police operation conducted near the suspect’s residence.
Police also seized one .45-cal. pistol, five pieces of ammunition and the P500 cash used in the buy-bust.
The latest police operations came two days after the killing of two big-time drug dealers in Las Piñas City where the authorities also recovered more than P210 million worth of shabu.
The slain suspects were Richard Jen Jieko Salameda Amarga and Andrew Guinto Garcia.
Police recovered 31 kilos of shabu worth P210.8 million during the anti-drug operation that resulted in the shooting encounter along Isiah Street, Tierra Hermosa Subdivision in Barangay Almanza 1 around 10:30 p.m.
Southern Police District director Eliseo Peralta commended his men for their latest accomplishments.