CAMP DIEGO SILANG, San Fernando City, La Union – Five persons were arrested by joint police operatives and anti-narcotics agents in two separate anti-illegal drug raid in Aringay town and this city over the weekend.
Senior Superintendent Francisco Esguerra, Regional Chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), identified those arrested in Aringay as Ritchie Mamaril, Carlomax Maniago and Ronald Foronda, who are suspected to be notorious drug dealers in the province.
Seized from the suspects are 51 sachets of shabu, one Magnum .357 revolver, P13,500 cash, and several drug paraphernalia.
Esguerra said the raid against the suspects was based on search warrants issued by Judge Renato Pinlac of San Carlos City, Pangasinan and was implemented by CIDG-La Union under Senior Inspector Nelson Cortez together with agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and La Union police.
Esguerra said the suspects are alleged members of the Foronda-Mamaril Group, a new crime syndicate engaged in drug trade and gun-for-hire activities operating in the 2nd District of La Union over the past several months that caught the attention of law enfocers.
“We will continue to intensify our unrelenting and uncompromising operations against lawless elements in the province. We are warning the criminal syndicates that they have no place to hide in the province now that they have elevated their operational capability to greater heights,” Esguerra stressed.
Charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and illegal possession of firearms will be filed against them.
Meanwhile, those arrested in San Fernando City were identified as Ericson Memes and Ramon Espayos, both residents of Caloocan City, Metro Manila.
Supt. Julius Suriben, the City Police Chief, said that policemen seized two big sachets of shabu worth P30,000 during an entrapment operation against the suspects who are both high value targets of law enforcers and anti-narcotics agents for their alleged involvement in numerous illegal drug trade in the city over the past several months.
The suspects, who are facing charges for delivery of illegal drugs, a non-bailable offense, are now detained at the city police station awaiting the decision of the provincial prosecutor’s office on the illegal drug charges filed against them.
Police officials vowed to conduct massive anti-illegal drug operations provincewide in order to curb the proliferation of illegal drugs in the province which compromises the future of today’s youth and to ensure that the province will be free from drugs in the future.