BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Three Negrenses were among those arrested in two separate buy-bust operations which resulted in the confiscation of P2.72 billion worth of suspected shabu in Pozorrubio, Pangasinan and San Fernando, La Union on Aug. 12.
Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) spokesperson Police Lieutenant Judesses Catalogo identified the suspects as 29-year-old Jenson Rey Yago; 28-year-old Ritchell Repuesto; and 18-year-old John Paul Repuesto. All three are natives of Barangay Codcod, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.
Yago and Ritchell were arrested alongside Chinese national Ke Wujia alias “James Dagale Galopo” and Johnbert Yagong in a buy-bust operation led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Pozorrubio.
The seized illegal drugs were estimated to be worth P2.448 billion.
A follow-up operation in Barangay Poro, San Fernando in La Union resulted in the arrest John Paul, alongside Romel Leyese.
The shabu seized in La Union was estimated to be worth P272 million.
According to Catalogo, following the three’s arrest, NOCPPO immediately got in touch with the village chief of Barangay Codcod about the backgrounds of the three men.
It was later determined that Yago, along with the two Repuestos have not been home in San Carlos for quite some time, and the three have not been listed in San Carlos City’s drugs watch list.
He further added that the San Carlos City police has yet to determine if the three have any links to the illegal drug trade in Negros Occidental./PN
