PDEA ‘major,’ 2 others nabbed in sting operation

By MydsSupnad

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, La Union – Local police headed by Supt Julius Calima Suriben in coordination with Philippine Drug enforcement Agency agents arrested Tuesday a man who claimed to be a PDEA police major and two other drug pushers in two entrapment operations in the city.

In his report to the city anti-drug abuse council chairman, Mayor Pablo C Ortega,  Suriben identified the purported PDEA major as Federico Gaspar, 57,  and his girlfriend Nicole Ubungen, both of Barangay Pagdalaganang Jodel Madriaga of Purok 8, Barangay Sevilla this city. 

Seized from the suspects were a Nokia cellphone, P500 bill and a sachet of shabu.

Seized from Ubungen were three sachets of shabu, a cellphone, P500 bill,  scissor and lighter. 

Seized from Gaspar were a sachet of shabu, a motorcycle and a cell phone.

Senior Insp. Jeofrey Sanchez,  new local anti-drug chief, was reportedly conducting records verification with the PDEA and higher headquarters to find out if the claim of Gaspar that he is a PDEA officer was fake or not..

Sanchez said charges for illegal drugs were being prepared against the three.

Mayor Ortega lauded high level of commitment and efforts of the city police under Suriben in going after criminals like those involved in illegal drugs.

He said 69 percent on the city's drug watchlist were arrested or a total of 117 persons were arrested, charged and jailed last year while 33 percent of remaining drug affected barangays have been cleared reducing the number of those affected from nine to six. 

To date, 27 barangays were declared cleared while 26 were classified as unaffected.