Drug deal suspect arrested, P180,000 shabu confiscated

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — Anti-illegal drugs operatives arrested an alleged big-time drug pusher in Dumaguete City on Wednesday afternoon and confiscated from him a large volume of suspected shabu with a street value of some P180,000.

The suspect was identified as Roel Martinez Tolentino, 30, a resident of Zone 2 in Barangay Looc of this city, who was caught Wednesday afternoon during a buy-bust operation.

The buy-bust was conducted by members of the Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Operations Task Group, headed by Inspector Ryan Jay Orapa, the Provincial Intelligence Bureau, led by Senior Inspector Jul Muhammad Jamiri, the Dumaguete City Police Station and the local unit of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

Orapa said confiscated from the suspect during the buy-bust were a big transparent plastic sachet, containing shabu with "RT-BB" markings, and the P500-marked bill placed on top of the bogus money used in the transaction.

The operatives also seized from Tolentino seven more pieces of transparent sachets, each containing shabu, one sealer, three disposable lighters, six empty plastic sachets and P400 cash, Orapa said.

The shabu, contained in about seven to eight boltos, a street slang used for large volumes of shabu, was estimated to weigh around 40 grams, he said.

Orapa said Tolentino has been in the police's target list of suspected drug personalities and under close surveillance for quite a while since.

Tolentino has two brothers, who are now serving sentence for illegal drugs at the National Penitentiary in Muntinlupa City of Metro Manila, said Orapa, adding that Tolentino's alleged source of shabu was Muntinlupa also. (FREEMAN)