P5M worth of shabu seized; cop arrested

CEBU, Philippines - Over P5 million worth of shabu was confiscated and a police officer was arrested by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-7 in two separate operations Friday.

Led by Superintendent Fermin Armendarez III, the CIDG-7 arrested Richard Arendon, a resident of Tugbungan proper, Barangay Tugbongan, Consolacion town.

Prior to the operation, the CIDG-7 conducted surveillance against Arendon to verify reports of his involvement in illegal drug activities.

After confirming the reports, the operatives applied for a search warrant, which was then followed by its implementation.

Recovered from Arendon’s residence were two large packs, 11 medium packs and eight small packs believed to be shabu weighing 450 grams amounting to P5,175,000. Also seized were several drug paraphernalia.

Meanwhile, a police officer, who has been absent without official leave (AWOL) was arrested after CIDG-7 officers implemented a search warrant against a suspected drug pusher past 9 p.m. Friday in Barangay Subayon, Toledo City.

The subject of the warrant, Giovanni Olid, was able to elude arrest, but recovered from his house was a large pack, a medium pack, and eight small packs of suspected shabu weighing 30 grams worth P354,000.

On the other hand, an AWOL police officer, Police Officer 1 Mercado Gutang, was arrested during the operation.

According to the report of CIDG-7, their personnel went to Toledo City to implement the search warrant at Olid’s house.

However, Olid noticed the presence of the police officers and ran into the cornfields. The police officers tried to track him down, but failed to find Olid.

At the same time, other officers continued to search Otid’s residence when they found a person inside the house later identified as P01 Gutang.

CIDG-7 personnel recovered a cal. 45 pistol from Gutang and two medium packs of suspected shabu.

In a span of two months, Gutang has been the second police officer to be arrested in an anti-drug operation.

The first one was PO1 Ian Patrick Carvellida, who was shot in the leg by Provincial Intelligence Branch operatives in a buy-bust operation last month in Pinamungajan town.  (FREEMAN)