3 nabbed for selling hashish on Facebook

MANILA, Philippines —Three men allegedly selling drugs through Facebook messenger were apprehended in a sting that yielded P1.6 million worth of marijuana in Quezon City on Thursday night.

They were John Paulo Flores, 29; Ryan Erpelo, 29, and Kees Van Paul Lorenzo, 34.

Col. Ronnie Montejo, acting director of the Quezon City Police District, said the suspects were nabbed during an entrapment operation in Barangay Novaliches Proper at around 8:40 p.m.

Montejo said the suspects allegedly sold two bricks of marijuana worth P240,000 to policemen who posed as buyers.

A follow-up operation yesterday at the suspects’ hideout in Barangay San Agustin led to the confiscation of 12 more bricks of  marijuana with an estimated street value of P1.4 million.

According to Montejo, an informant tipped them off that the group was selling narcotics through Facebook messenger.

“After validating the information, an anti-drug operative posed as a buyer and agreed to purchase marijuana worth P40,000 from the suspects,” he said.

In Las Piñas City, police arrested two suspected drug pushers in separate narcotics operations.

Nicanor Quinto Jr. allegedly yielded 16 grams of shabu worth P32,000 and P500 in marked money.

Enrique Cortizo was nabbed for alleged possession of two sachets of shabu.