Notorious drug suspect in La Union nabbed

MANILA, Philippines - Anti-narcotics agents arrested a suspected notorious drug den owner and pusher who was tagged as the Number 8 top drug personality in La Union and two other drug cohorts during a sting operation , the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said on Friday.

The PDEA said joint operatives from PDEA and Philippine National Police nabbed Satie Soriano, 34, welder, listed as Number 8 priority target drug personality in PDEA Regional Office 1; and Michael Soriano, 28, both of Barangay Poblacion, Aringay, La Union; and Al Flores, 34, of Poblacion, Derrana, Aringay, La Union.

Records showed that last Dec. 23 around 6 p.m., PDEA Regional Office 1 apprehended Soriano during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Poblacion, Aringay, La Union after he sold a plastic sachet of methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, to a PDEA poseur-buyer inside his house used as drug den.

Also arrested were Flores and Soriano’s brother who were caught sniffing shabu inside Soriano’s residence.

Confiscated during the operation was a heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet containing white crystalline substance of suspected shabu.

After further search, the operatives also confiscated from the suspects two plastic sachets containing suspected shabu, P1,000 bill used as buy-bust money, two  mobile phones, two pairs of scissors, and various drug paraphernalia.

Soriano will face charges for violation of  Section 5 (Sale of Dangerous Drugs), Section 6 (Maintenance of a Drug Den), Section 11 (Possession of Dangerous Drugs), Section 12 (Possession of Equipment and Other Paraphernalia for Dangerous Drugs) and Section 15 (Use of Dangerous Drugs), Article II, of Republic Act 9165, otherwise known as the “Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Meanwhile, Soriano’s sibling and Flores will face charges for violation of  Sections  7 ( Visitors of a Drug Den), 11, 12 and 15.

The suspects are temporarily detained at Aringay Police Station detention facility.