By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The alleged cousin of Silay City-based suspected drug lord Michael Divinagracia was arrested late Friday evening by Bacolod City Police Office-City Drug Enforcement Unit (BCPO-CDEU) operatives at the corner of Gonzaga-Lopez Jaena Streets in the city’s Barangay 28.

Police identified the suspect as 23-year-old Bryan Divinagracia Blasi, a temporary resident of the Eroreco Subdivision in Barangay Mandalagan of the said city.

CDEU team leader, Police Inspector Adrian James Albaytar, said Blasi is the live-in partner of Carla Umadhay, a drug personality arrested last January in a separate anti-drug operation.

Albaytar said, despite his live-in partner’s arrest, Blasi continued with the illegal drug trade, although they are still investigating if he is engaged in the illicit activity on his own or if he is working for the Silay City-based drug lord.

He pointed out, Blasi was arrested after he handed over one elongated sachet of suspected shabu in exchange for P1,000.

A subsequent search recovered three big sachets of suspected shabu, with a market value of around P225,000.

Blasi, meanwhile, denied any involvement in illegal drug activities, claiming he was in the area buying milk for his child.

He also denied being related to the suspected infamous Silay drug lord.

Blasi is detained at Police Station 6 on illegal drugs charges.

Divinagracia’s name came to prominence earlier this year, when operatives from the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, Iloilo Provincial Police Office, and Philippine Coast Guard intercepted two of his couriers trying to smuggle P18 million worth of suspected shabu from the Dumangas Port in Iloilo to Bacolod City.

Divinagracia is also believed to be linked to the Aki Cuadra robbery group, which operates in Bacolod City and other nearby towns and cities./DGB, WDJ