By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
San Carlos City’s No. 1 high-value drug target yielded eight plastic sachets of suspected shabu valued at around P10.2 million following a drug buy-bust operation at Hacienda San Jose in the city’s Barangay Guadalupe.
Joint elements of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, Regional Drug Enforcement Unit 6 and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 6 arrested 24-year-old Joel Rizardo, a resident of Greenville Bato, Barangay Rizal also in the said city, on Wednesday afternoon, January 12.
The suspect’s live-in partner, Jean Compacion, managed to escape.
San Carlos City police chief, Police Lt. Colonel Jesus Mesajon, said they have been monitoring Rizardo and Compacion for months, but it had been difficult to arrest the two as they were repeatedly transferring their residence.
Police also recovered suspected drug money amounting to P3,600 and a paper bag containing the P3,500 buy-bust money.
Mesajon added they are now trying to determine where the suspects are getting their supply of illegal drugs.
Rizardo is currently detained at the San Carlos City Police Station, facing charges for violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002./DGB, WDJ