San Fernando police scores vs drug gangs

By MydsSupnad

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union-  Local police and Drug enforcement agency personnel  headed by Supt Julius Calima Suriben May 17 launched simultaneous raids on two houses of suspected local drug gangs allegedly responsible for proliferation of shabu in the southern part of the city, resulting to confiscation of big volume of shabu and the apprehension of two suspected drug peddlers.

 In his report to the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council chairman, Mayor Pablo C. Ortega, Suriben identified arrested suspects as John Leo C Apilado and Zaldy Rivera, both of Barangay Sevilla.

Taken from them were 17 sachets of shabu weighing almost 30 grams and assorted drug paraphernalia.

Suriben said suspects were jobless and sustained their daily needs and vices by selling shabu.

Search warrants were issued by Judge Renato Pinlac of Regional Trial Court, San Carlos City, Pangasinan.

Insp. Renante Orbino,  said Apilado was with two others identified as Randy Brios, a visitor who had just bought and used shabu inside Leo's house and  Michael,  brother of Leo who helps him sell shabu.

“The revelation of Brios proved the report reaching the city police that Leo's house is a drug den prompted us to raid them,” said Suriben.

 The three were brought to the police station and subjected for inquest.

Meanwhile, the other team led by Insp. Juanito Buaron, chief of the city police drug unit, was met with resistance by the family of Zaldy Rivera, a listed drug pusher who tried to prevent his team from entering their house.

The team looked for Rivera but he wasn't around. Iin the presence of barangay officials and media, the team conduct the search which resulted to seizure of 12 sachets of shabu weighing 16.29 grams and several drug paraphernalia.

 A case for possession of shabu will be filed against Zaldy, said Suriben.

Prior to the raids, a buy bust operation launched by the policemen here also resulted to arrest of Tyrone Galvez of Pagdaraoan, a source of shabu in the northern part of the city who was arrested near a college institution.

Seized from his possession were sachets of shabu weighing 7.3909 grams. According to Senior Supt Ramon Rafael, La Union police director, " this accomplishment is a classic example of police-community partnership as a result of the barangay visitations being conducted by the city police wherein officials of 59 barangays were organized by  city police."