4 caught with P3 million marijuana

QUEZON CITY, Philippines — Quezon City policemen confiscated yesterday more than a dozen bricks of marijuana valued at P3 million from four suspected drug pushers during a sting in Caloocan City.

Christian Jerico Refuerzo, 27; John Yecla, 25; Ronnel Corpen, 21, and Bruce Gaslani, 22, were taken into police custody.

Lt. Col. Hector Amancia, chief of the Novaliches police station, said anti-narcotics officers hatched a sting against the suspects after receiving information that Refuerzo was allegedly involved in drugs.

Amancia said the operation was coordinated with the Caloocan police and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

Refuerzo was engaged in online selling. But police did not confirm if he was offering drugs to his clients on social media.

Unlike Refuerzo, police said the three other suspects were not on the drug watchlist.

Authorities said they recovered from the suspects at least 26 kilos of dried marijuana worth P3.12 million, drug paraphernalia, a cellular phone and the marked money.

The suspects are being held by police on charges of drug trafficking.

In Manila, three suspects were arrested for alleged possession of P170,000 worth of shabu in Sta. Cruz on Saturday night.

John Macaraig, Samuel Repato and Bernard Sarbida were nabbed by police during a sting along Recto Avenue in Barangay 308.

The suspects allegedly yielded around 25 grams of shabu and a .45-caliber handgun.

A case for drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearms will be filed against the suspects, police said. – Marc Jayson Cayabyab