P1-M shabu, 8 arrested in Nueva Ecija buy-bust

By Nelson Bolos

CABANATUAN CITY -- Some P1 million worth of shabu was confiscated while eight drug personalities were arrested in a police buy-bust operation here at Barangay Zulueta Tuesday morning.

City police chief Supt. Ponciano Zafra identified those arrested as Nemencius Galang, 48; Leoncio Ancheta, 48; Josephine Ancheta, 43; Marvin Palolan, 29; John Rendden Ancheta, 25; Joshua Gabriel Ancheta 19, Gian Jayson Ancheta, 17, all from Doña Encarnacion Ave., Barangay Zulueta and Elena Valdez, 24, of Barangay San Roque Norte.

Zafra said the buy-bust was conducted around 7 a.m. against Nemencius Galang and Leoncio Ancheta who sold P2,500 worth of shabu to a cop.

The shabu was contained in 18 plastic sachets, six of which weighed around 50 grams each.

Total quantity of illegal drugs confiscated  was around 340 grams with street value of more than P1 million.

Josephine, Marvin, John Rendden, Joshua Gabriel, Gian and Elena were apprehended while “repacking” shabu at Nemencius’s house.

Once repacked for street level distribution, the confiscated shabu may come out to more than 11,200 sachets of P500 retail-size.

Since last year, this city’s police have arrested 280 drug personalities from 180 anti-drug operations.

More than 1.25 kilos of shabu and almost seven kilos of marijuana have been confiscated.

More than 6,000 houses of persons suspected of involvement in the illegal drugs have been visited under Project Tokhang.

On Holy Week, Zafra and his police team arrested eight other drug pushers including Reynaldo Delos Santos, chairman of Barangay Pula and his son Billy Rey. Reynaldo is listed the Nueva Ecija’s No. 1 High Value Target (HVT) under Project Double Barrel Reloaded.

SPO4 Edwin Batulay is the city’s police intelligence chief.