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[av_heading heading=’Another suspected Odicta subgroup leader arrested’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
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ILOILO City – A subgroup leader of slain suspected drug lord Melvin Odicta Sr. was arrested in Barangay San Jose, Arevalo district.
William Torpio, a 34-year-old resident of Barangay South San Jose, Molo district, sold a sachet of shabu to an undercover police officer of the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Operations Task Group (RAIDOTG) around 9:45 p.m. on Monday.
He yielded 19 more sachets valued at P20,000, according to Superintendent Ramir Gallardo, RAIDOTG chief.
Torpio was placed under surveillance for two weeks prior to Monday’s sting operation.
Gallardo described Torpio a high-value target.
The suspect was a younger brother of another high-value drug suspect Rolando alias Apa, who was arrested on Oct. 28, 2016 for violation of Section 12, Article II of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002) or illegal possession of drug paraphernalia.
Rolando was also a suspected subgroup leader of Odicta. He was released from the Iloilo District Jail in Barangay Nanga, Pototan, Iloilo on Jan. 13 this year after posting a bail bond of P40,000.
According to Gallardo, while Rolando was in detention, William took over his brother’s operation after his release from prison for illegal possession of a bladed weapon and for theft on Nov. 17, 2016.
The younger Torpio, in a radio interview, denied he was trafficking shabu but admitted he was snorting it./PN
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