By CESAR JOLITO III

A joint police operation led by the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) resulted in the arrest of five suspects involved in robbery, illegal possession of firearms and illegal drugs in Barangay Singcang Airport on Monday afternoon, November 3.

The operation, carried out at 4:54 p.m. in Purok Neptune, was conducted by the BCPO City Drug Enforcement Unit, in coordination with Police Station 8 and its intelligence unit.

Authorities launched the entrapment following a complaint filed by a 45-year-old victim, identified only as alias Gerald, who reported that his laptop had been stolen.

Using Global Positioning System tracking, police traced the stolen device to Purok Neptune, where an undercover operation was set in motion.

An operative, acting as a poseur-buyer, negotiated with one of the suspects for the purchase of the stolen laptop valued at P11,000 using boodle money.

Once the transaction was completed, operatives immediately moved in and arrested the suspect along with four others, all residents of the same area.

A 9mm pistol with two live rounds, a sachet of suspected shabu, a laptop, two mobile phones were recovered during the operation.

Subsequent searches on the other suspects yielded five additional sachets of suspected shabu, two laptops, three laptop chargers, one lap timer, and one bank book.

Police said the suspects are facing charges for robbery, violation of Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act), and violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).

All arrested individuals and the confiscated items are currently under the custody of BCPO for filing of appropriate charges./CJ, WDJ