PDEA seizes shabu, nabs 6 suspects in Cam Norte

By: Alfredo L. Vargas Jr. LEGAZPI CITY, Jan. 28 (PNA) -- Joint operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the local police in Camarines Norte arrested six suspects in the illegal drug trade and recovered from them methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu worth P96,000 in two separate raids over the weekend. In his report to PDEA Bicol Director Archie Grande at Camp Gen. Simeon Ola in this city, Agent Erwin Magpantay identified the suspects arrested in the Sunday morning buy-bust operations as Rodelmar Ocan, 28, a motorcycle sales agent and resident of Barangay San Roque in Mercedes, Camarines Norte and his cohort, Marcelo Gallardo. Seized from the suspects were three medium-sized heat-sealed plastic sachets containing shabu with a street value of P90,000. An unnamed civilian reportedly tipped off the operatives on Ocan's active involvement in drug distribution. This was subsequently confirmed by a series of surveillance operations and test buys. Gallardo was with Ocan when the sale of the drug to a poseur-buyer was consummated. The PDEA filed a case for violation of Section 5, Article II of the Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002 against the suspect before Prosecutor Cornelio Roll of the Provincial Prosecutor's Office (PPO) in the capital town of Daet. Three days prior to the operation in Mercedes, joint operatives of PDEA and Camarines Norte police arrested a drug den maintainer and three other suspects in the act of sniffing shabu in Barangay Borabod in Daet. Armed with a search warrant dated Jan. 22 issued by Executive Judge Roberto Escaro of the Regional Trial Court Branch 38 in Daet, the operatives raided the residence of Francisco Ace Simeon in Borabod and seized six plastic sachets containing shabu with a street value of P6,000. The PDEA also caught three suspects while in the act of sniffing shabu inside Simeon's residence. Magpantay identified them as Lamberto Inciong, Anthony Castillar and Larry Nazareno, all of Daet. Based on a chemistry report of the police crime laboratory in Camarines Norte, the seized drugs from Simeon weighed 4.09 grams. Magpantay also reported that Simeon is among the watch-listed drug personalities in Camarines Norte and is subject to immediate neutralization due to his key participation in the drug supply chain. The suspect converted his residence into a drug den where pot sessions are held. The PDEA also filed charges Saturday against Simeon before the PPO for violation of Sections 6 and 11 of Article II of RA 9165. It also did the same against Inciong, Castillar and Nazareno for violation of Section 7 of RA 9165. The six suspects have all been locked up inside the Camarines Norte Provincial Jail. (PNA) FFC/PTR/FGS/Alfredo L. Vargas Jr./MMG/EBP