Anti-Narcotics operatives collared on Tuesday, February 18, five drug peddlers, four of them Muslims, in buy-bust operations yielding a total of 40 grams of Metamphetamine Hydrochloride (Shabu) in the towns of Daraga and Oas in Albay.

Arrested in a buy-bust operation in a drug den in Barangay Bagtang in Daraga were Zucri Balindong, 30, a Muslim vendor of Lanao del Sur, and Evelyn Neri, 42 of Barangay MH del Pilar, Guinobatan, Albay. Police seized from the suspects three plastics sachets containing shabu and drug paraphernalia.

Other suspected pushers, Karim Minalang, 32, Jun Marehemselic, 24, both native of Marawi City and Macquie Marahom, 58, a native of Iligan City were arrested in a follow-up operation in a safehouse at Barangay llaod Sur, Oas, Albay. Found in their possession were 5 plastic sachets of shabu and drug paraphernalia.

Supt. Alejandro Gutierrez, chief of PNP criminal investigation and detection group (CIDG) in Bicol said that one Ka Gerry eluded arrest by running through the vast rice fields in said village in Oas.

Gutierrez, quoting a report from Police Inspector Cesar Dalonos, leader of the raiding team, suspects that Ka Gerry in his escape has brought along a big volume of the illegal drug.

He said that the suspects style in pursuing their illegal trade is by posing as vendors of pirated VCD tapes.

As this developed, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Bicol reported that the anti-drug operations in the region neutralized 139 drug pushers who were included in the regional watch list last year.

Shabu popularly known as the poor man's cocaine remains the drug of choice based on the volume of apprehensions in the manhunt of drug personalities who were engaged in pushing or drug possession.

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