P3.3-M shabu seized, 8 arrested in Iloilo drug bust

ILOILO CITY — Anti-narcotics operatives seized an estimated P3.37 million worth of suspected shabu and an illegal firearm in a major buy-bust operation that led to the arrest of eight individuals in Barangay Botongon, Estancia town, Iloilo on Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 29.

The joint operation, conducted at around 2:10 p.m., was launched by the Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU) Team 3 of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region 6, Regional Intelligence Division (RID) 6, Regional Intelligence Unit (RIU) 6, and the Estancia Municipal Police Station.

Police identified two of those arrested as “high-value individuals” namely, Onasis Henova Beria, alias “Tate,” 40, and Joshua Ataniso Opiniano, alias “Toto,” 26, a tricycle driver, both residents of Barangay Botongon. Tate is listed on the PNP-PDEA drug watch list.

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READ: Armed drug suspect with P380,000 ‘shabu’ arrested in Tagaytay

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Also arrested during the operation were six so-called street-level traders, namely, “Nene,” 34, of Barangay Botongon, Estancia; “Billy,” 21, of Poblacion, Carles; “Nonoy,” 48, of Barangay Pa-on, Estancia; “Victor,” 26, fish vendor, of Barangay Tacbuyan, Estancia; “Cora,” 44, of Barangay Bolaqueña, Estancia; and “Seping,” 42, fish vendor, of Poblacion Zone 2, Estancia.

According to law enforcement reports, the bust was the culmination of weeks of sustained intelligence operations.

Under the leadership of Capt. Ryan Batadlan and Lt. Jake Anthony Zamora, supervised by Maj. Dadje Delima, chief of PIU/PDEU, an undercover operative successfully purchased one heat-sealed sachet of suspected shabu from the targets using P13,000 in marked buy-bust money.

Upon completion of the transaction, backup officers immediately moved in to place the suspects under arrest.

A search incidental to the arrest yielded approximately 495 grams of suspected shabu contained in three large heat-sealed plastic sachets and five regular-sized sachets, along with non-drug-related items. Operatives also recovered a homemade 9mm revolver loaded with three live rounds of ammunition. /das