BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The series of buy-bust operations Monday in Negros Occidental led to the arrest of five more drug suspects and the recovery of about P22,000 worth of suspected shabu.
Policemen arrested Ryan Esconde and Rey Luage in separate buy-bust operations in Brgys. 5 and Punao, all in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.
However, the companion of Esconde, identified as Joemarie Marabe, who is classified by the police as a High Value Individual drug personality, managed to escape.
The apprehension of Esconde yielded about three grams of suspected shabu, with a market value of P20,400, P1,300 in marked money, and a Rusi motorcycle.
The arrest of Luage in Sitio Mahayahay, Brgy. Punao, San Carlos City after a brief chase with police captors, yielded a sachet of suspected shabu and a 150 Rusi motorcycle.
Another buy-bust operation in Brgy. Isio, Cauayan, on the same day, also led to the arrest of Richard Conteniente, with 0.3 gram of suspected shabu and P380 in buy-bust money, while the police recovered P1,000 worth of suspected shabu and P500 in marked money during the apprehension of Alfredo Abellar Jr. in Brgy. Balintawak, Escalante City.
Patrolling policemen arrested a certain John Rey Octavio on Sunday at Hacienda San Jose in Brgy. Libacao, Himamaylan City, with an Armscor .45 caliber pistol with a magazine containing four cartridges.*
