Drug gang chief nabbed in Makati

MANILA, Philippines - A woman suspected of leading a drug ring was arrested along with six others in Makati City on Thursday, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said yesterday.

Marites Lucero, 43 and her alleged accomplice Mary Joy Reyes, 28, were among those captured when PDEA agents and the local police raided Lucero’s house – which reportedly doubled as a drug den – in Barangay Cembo at around 2:30 a.m.

Operatives were armed with a search warrant issued by a court, said PDEA director general Isidro Lapena.

Aside from Lucero and Reyes, also taken into custody were Rosalie Madrid, 39; Jaime Benzon, 43; Michelle Bucal, 41; Alden Villahermosa, 30, and Jaypee Anog, 32, said to be customers of the drug den.

Around 70 grams of shabu, with a street value of P280,000, and assorted drug paraphernalia were confiscated.

Fake cop busted

Meanwhile, police officers arrested several persons in separate operations last Friday, said Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director Chief Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar.

Among those arrested is Francisco Morente, 54, who identified himself as a police officer from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) under the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AIDSOTF), presenting several identification cards bearing his name.

Morente was caught in a sting in Barangay Bagong Pag-asa. Police officers told Morente that the CIDG and AIDSOTF are two different police units and AIDSOTF was disbanded in October 2015.

Morente and two others – Herbert Teraza, 32, and Merlin Kintanar, 29 – were taken into custody. Four sachets of shabu and P500 marked money were seized from them.

23 more fall

Also in Quezon City, Jennifer Ballada, 29, and Jocelyn Ballada, 48, were caught in a sting in Barangay Pinyahan and three sachets of shabu were seized from them.

Wilfredo Valenzuela, 53; Carlo Villarba, 33, and Analea Tabiosas, 33, were nabbed in another sting Barangay Bagong Talon. Two sachets of shabu and assorted drug paraphernalia were confiscated from them.

Guiller Canlas, 20; Jonie Belison, 37, and Benjamin Rios, 23, were caught using drugs in Barangay Batasan Hills. An undetermined quantity of shabu, marijuana leaves and drug paraphernalia were seized by the police.

Jerry Cordero, 37, was arrested after police officers found a sachet of shabu in his possession.

Two other drug suspects were arrested in Barangay Fairview and seven more in Barangay San Bartolome.

In Mandaluyong, alleged pusher Frederich Libusta, 39, and Wilson Redovante, 36, were arrested in a sting in Barangay Addition Hills at around 9 p.m. Friday.

Libusta yielded two sachets of shabu and marked money while Redovante carried a sachet of shabu.

In Pasig City, drug surrenderee Ryan Roden, Francis Villacista and Cristina Ocol were arrested in a sting in Barangay Kalawaan at around 9 p.m. Friday. They were caught carrying 12 sachets of shabu.  – With Non Alquitran