BY JEN BAYLON
BACOLOD City – A alleged drug den was dismantled where eight individuals were arrested by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Purok Lubi, Barangay 3 here.
Agent Alvin Clemente, team leader of PDEA Regional Special Enforcement Team Bravo, said the operation at around 3 p.m. on Thursday, February 29, was preceded by two weeks of monitoring the area.
The high-impact buy-bust operation led to the arrest of the following high-value suspects:
* Jose “Daddy Joy” Weber, 62, a former seafarer and is a suspected drug den maintainer and pusher
* John Weber, 29, reportedly residing at the drug den
* Jose Gentica, 57, a licensed architect from Fortune Towne in Barangay Estefania
* Marlon Lim, 45, also from Fortune Towne
* Angelica Decosta, 26, a businessperson from Patria Village, Barangay Villamonte
* Debbie Valdez, 39, from Purok Cereza South, Barangay 3
* Jose Rama, 46, from Purok Lubi, and
* Mark Lister Chavez, 35, a home-based virtual assistant, also from Fortune Towne
The authorities seized over 30 grams of suspected shabu with a standard drug price of P204,000, non-drug paraphernalia, and cash believed to be drug proceeds.
According to Clemente, some of the suspects were caught having a pot session during the operation.
Clemente said it is believed that there are still several drug dens in the area. As such, he added, they will focus on these and conduct a series of surveillance operations.
The eight individuals are currently under the custody of the PDEA Regional Office 6 for proper disposition and are set to face charges for violations of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002./PN
