Taguig police says all of city’s top 10 drug traffickers arrested

MANILA, Philippines - The top 10 drug traffickers in Taguig City have all been arrested, the Taguig Police reported on Monday.

According to the Taguig Police, Alfonso Dacquel, considered as the third wanted drug trafficker in Taguig, was arrested on the night of October 1. Dacquel was the last of the “most wanted 10 drug traffickers” in the city, police said.

"This is extremely good news. Everyone in the Top 10 has been barred from flooding our streets with drugs. This means our citizens, especially our children, will now have decreased exposure to this menace," Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano said.

"Again, I commend the police for this very outstanding work. You all have our gratitude," added Cayetano.

Taguig Police chief Senior Superintendent Arthur Felix Asis said Dacquel, alias Otoy, and his wife Siena Joyce Dacquel, alias Shen, of Barangay Central Signal Village, Taguig City, were arrested during a buy-bust operation conducted by the agents of the Taguig City Police Station Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group (SAID-SOTG).

Chief Inspector Jerry Amindalan, SAID-SOTG head, said the couple yielded six plastic sachets containing white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu with a street value of P150,000.

Amindalan said his agents were very careful during the operation knowing that the suspect was a former Marine described as armed and dangerous.

Arrested earlier were the “top 1” and “top 2” drug personalities in Taguig identified as Michael Butch Tan and Sancho Espiritu, who were captured on August 21 and September 23, respectively.

Aside from Tan and Espiritu, the Taguig police also apprehended earlier this year Richard Silvestre, Isidro Llagas, Mardie Talampas, Jackie Abone, Adonis Venus, Bags Malay and Rawie Castro, who were all in the Top 10 most wanted drug suspects.

Since Cayetano assumed office as the city’s chief executive, a “total war” on drugs was declared.