Police in Iloilo seized around P7.4 million worth of suspected shabu following two buy-bust operations over the past two days.
Last Sunday, February 2, joint elements of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) and the Pavia Municipal Police Station conducted a bust near the GT Town Center in Pavia, located in the town’s Barangay Ungka 2.
Arrested in the operation were 42-year-old Jennifer Nosotros and her son, 20-year-old John Rey Nosotros, both residents of Barangay Buntalala in Iloilo City’s Jaro district.
The pair were nabbed after transacting with an undercover police officer for P75,000 worth of suspected shabu. A subsequent search yielded 420 grams of suspected shabu with a value of P6.3 million.
IPPO director, Police Colonel Roland Vilela, said the haul is the largest in Iloilo this year and believes the illicit substance may have been sourced from the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City. Further validation found the elder Nosotros is the sister of a certain Joven Abantao, who is currently detained at the jail.
The police official called the pair “distributors” throughout the province, along with some portions of Bacolod City.
The mother and son are currently detained at the Pavia Municipal Police Station and set to be charged for violation to RA 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Meanwhile, a separate operation in Iloilo City yesterday afternoon saw 56-year-old Lalaine Ereño arrested after authorities recovered P1.125 million worth of suspected shabu following a bust at Zone 15 in Barangay Calaparan, located in the city’s Arevalo district.
Police confiscated a sling bag containing 15 big sachets of suspected shabu, two mobile phones, and buy-bust money worth P20,500.
According to law enforcement, Ereño is considered a “downline” to the Nosotros pair.
Ereño also faces charges in violation of RA 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002./WDJ