Law enforcers seized more than half a million pesos worth of suspected shabu and arrested an alleged Level 3 drug pusher, in a raid last week in barangay Calindagan.
Arrested was Winefredo Armentano of Purok Orchids, Sitio Canday-ong, said Chief Insp. Benedick Poblete of the Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group of the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office.
PAIDSOTG and the National Bureau of Investigation, led by Dominador Cimafranca, and in coordination with the local Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, swooped down on the house of Armentano, armed with a search warrant issued by Negros Oriental Executive Judge Gerardo Paguio, dated June 17, 2015.
Poblete said they recovered five bultos or packs and another five smaller plastic sachets of suspected “shabu powder”, weighing about 45 grams, and worth about P500,000, in the house of the suspect.
As a Level 3 drug personality, Armentano can allegedly dispose of at least P100,000 worth of shabu in Mabinay, where he is reported to be the distributor.
The search warrant was issued due to a tip from a reliable informant. Police said Armentano has become a bodegero of shabu for delivery to nearby municipalities.
Armentano has denied ownership of the confiscated shabu but admitted their recovery from his residence during the search, as witnessed by Kag. Candido Kinikito and the media.
Armentano is now detained at the Dumaguete Police detention cell, and charges for violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, are being readied against him.
A few months ago, his younger brother was also searched in the same house, and is now in jail.
Senior Supt. Dionardo Bernardo Carlos, newly-installed Negros Oriental Provincial Police OIC, supervised the inventory of the confiscated illegal drugs.
Carlos said his approach will include controlling their movements, identifying them, and studying each case — to include the shooting incidents in Dumaguete — to determine their commonality, and those perpetuating the crimes. (PNA)
