ILOILO City – A suspected stockman (bodegero) of what is believed to be a newly formed drug group operating in this city and province of Iloilo was arrested in an anti-drug operation in Barangay San Pedro, Molo district.
The 35-year-old Kenth Gutas, a resident of the said village, was caught on June 28 by operatives of the Police Regional Office 6’s Drug Enforcement Unit (RDEU) and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
Police said Gutas sold 10 grams of suspected shabu to an undercover policeman for P40,000. A total of 60 grams amounting to P408,000 were recovered from the suspect.
According to RDEU chief, Police Lieutenant Colonel Mark Daroca, they had been transacting with Gutas in the past weeks.
“He had been delivering drugs through the instruction of a certain ‘Amo’, his boss,” Darroca told Panay News.
Darroca said the suspect – tagged as “high-value” drug target – was a member of a newly formed drug group, though he refused to give further details.
“Actually we have already the names of other members, but we have to keep these yet because we still have to conduct a follow-up operation. They got their items from Manila. They directly send them to Gutas for safekeeping,” Darroca said.
On the other hand, Gutas admitted that he was the one keeping the items, and said he was paid P1,500 every delivery.
He added that as soon as they receive the drugs, they had to repack. Gutas also revealed that from P408,000 capital, they can sell it up to P800,000.
Gutas added that this had been his livelihood to feed his family.
He was detained at the Molo police station. Charges for violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 would be filed against him./PN
