Ormoc cops arrest 2 drug suspects

ORMOC CITY, Leyte, Jan 13  -- Following a series of intense surveillance, the City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) and the local police arrested a drug peddler and his cohort in a buy bust Thursday afternoon.

Chief Insp. Joseph Joevel Young, CDEU chief who led the operations, on Friday, identified the main suspect as Ian Kim Sia, 35, electronic technician, resident of Cogon village, where the alleged drug dealing happened.

Young said a confidential informant arranged transaction with Sia and a police-poseur buyer bought a small sachet of shabu worth PHP500. The trade took place along the national highway near the suspect’s residence around 3 p.m.

Also nabbed was Freddie Ariño, 36, single, jobless, a resident of Alegria village, this city, tagged by Sia as the source of narcotics.

In a body search at the city’s police station 1, the operatives confiscated the marked money worth PHP500 from Sia. The suspect admitted he owned the small sachet of suspected drug the police bought from him. He also confessed being a drug user since he was a teenager.

A police officer confirmed Sia was given warning to stop the illegal activity in 2016. It was not clear if he was in the village drug watchlist.

Ariño also confirmed owning a sachet of illegal drug seized from his pocket in a procedural body search. He said he’s ready to coordinate with the police by revealing names of his alleged drug sources, but refused to tell the names of various personalities who deliver the items to him.

An inquest proceeding is prepared against the two suspects for violation of Republic Act 9165 otherwise known as Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Supt. Reynaldo Torlao, police station 1 chief, said there are no reports of big fish in terms of drug dealings since the illegal activities in the city have already mellowed down. (ERR/PNA)