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Prevendido group’s ‘brain, muscle’ caught in Antique ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY MERIANNE GRACE EREÑETA
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ILOILO City – A suspected member of the Prevendido drug group was arrested yesterday in Tobias Fornier, Antique in what the authorities consider a huge blow to the illegal drug trade in the region.
Bonie Prevendido Gregori was caught along with eight others in a buy-bust operation staged by antidrug agents and police officers around 6 a.m. in Barangay Camandagan in the southern Antique town.
Suspected shabu worth P500,000 was also seized by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents and operatives from the Anti-Illegal Drugs Group, Police Regional Office 6 and Tobias Fornier police station.
Gregori is a “high-value target” in the police’s antidrug campaign.
He is the son of Barangay Captain Remia Prevendido Gregori of Bakhaw, Mandurriao district here — where the drug group is allegedly based — and nephew of the suspected group leader Richard Prevendido.
While Richard is the group’s “lead figure,” Bonie Gregori is considered the group’s “brain and muscle,” said PDEA assistant regional director Levi Ortiz.
“Si Bonie talaga ang utak at finance,” Ortiz stressed.
Authorities also arrested Argie Elman, Crisanto Morada, Aquilino Pedrajas Jr., Aquilino Pedrajas III, Glen Pedrajas, Robert Pedrajas, Johnny Rapado, and Jona Fe Tabio.
An undercover police officer bought shabu from the suspects for P5,000, Ortiz said.
The operatives recovered from them seven heat-sealed plastic packs of varying sizes containing suspected shabu — all with an estimated cost of half a million pesos — according to the PDEA official.
Ortiz claimed Gregori sold illegal drugs in Antique while in hiding.
The suspect is a big loss to the Prevendido drug group, said Ortiz. “He (Gregori) has the influence and connection. Ngayong naaresto na siya, mahihirapan silang maghanap ng katulad niya.”
From Antique, Gregori and the eight others were hauled to the detention facility of the PDEA Region 6 at Fort San Pedro here.
Gregori’s mother said she was hurt. She headed to Antique to fetch her son upon learning about the operation.
“It was painful to see him caught in a buy-bust operation along with several others,” Barangay Captain Gregori said in Hiligaynon.
Ortiz thanked the locals in Tobias Fornier for their successful operation.
“This operation would not have been successful if not for the help of the local government unit and the community,” he said. “Sila iyong nagbibigay ng information on the presence of strangers in their locality.”
Sometime in July, Bonie Gregori and relative Ednie Prevendido Jimena each turned over a .45 pistol with ammunition to the Mandurriao police station.
Another relative, Norberto Prevendido, also surrendered to the police in line with Oplan Double Barrel, the Philippine National Police’s intensified antidrug campaign that started in the same month.
Gregori was No. 2 in the Mandurriao police station’s watch list of drug personalities. Norberto Prevendido was No. 3, while Jimena was No. 5.
Just this Oct. 21, PDEA operatives searched Gregori’s house in Bakhaw, Mandurriao and recovered shabu worth P250,000. The suspect was not around at the time./PN
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