A suspected illegal drugs syndicate operating in Negros Oriental is believed busted following a series of operations and the arrest of at least four suspected drug pushers on Thursday.
Task Force Kasaligan, a composite team comprising the National Bureau of Investigation, the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies, swooped down on the suspects in separate sting operations hours apart from each other in Dumaguete and in Tanjay City, said provincial police director Sr. Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas.
The Task Force is expected to either call for a press conference or issue an official statement later today for the complete details on the series of arrests of the suspects, which according to Lawas, are inter-connected thus giving weight to the belief they all belong to one alleged drug ring.
First to be arrested was a certain Mateo Vincoy, who in turn provided information leading to the arrest of Farrell Catan, said Lawas.
Further information gleaned from the two later on resulted in the capture of Jessie Misamis and Edgar Tan, a suspected mid-sized illegal drugs supplier from Tanjay City.
Suspected shabu, the total volume of which has yet to be determined, were confiscated from the suspects, said Lawas.
According to Lawas, a little disturbance erupted after Misamis, armed with an Ingram machine pistol, allegedly resisted arrest although there were enough law enforcers to pin him down.
It was said Misamis and Tan are the alleged masterminds of the suspected drug ring, as based on the revelations of Catan and Vincoy.
The police believe there are still other members of the said group operating in Dumaguete and Negros Oriental and who shall be the target of subsequent anti-illegal drugs operations in the coming days.
The local supply of the prohibited drug, methamphetamine hydrochloride, popularly known as shabu, is said to come from Cebu and Manila.
This is yet the biggest anti-illegal drugs operations in Negros Oriental this year. (PNA) JFP