PDEA staff falls in Tacloban drug buy-bust

TACLOBAN CITY, Sept. 5 -- Operatives of the Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency (PDEA) regional office here arrested their co-employee over alleged involvement in the illegal drugs trade.

PDEA Eastern Visayas Regional Director Edgar Jubay said suspect Brian Refuezo, 36, administrative staff of the anti-narcotics agency was nabbed in a buy-bust operation Tuesday afternoon in this city’s Marasbaras district.

The PDEA employee yielded seven sachets of shabu and a .38 caliber revolver. Jubay said they have been monitoring the suspect's activities for several months.

“I don’t think this is an embarrassment on our part because we have exerted all efforts as part of our internal cleansing,” Jubay said in a mobile phone interview.

This is not the first time that an employee from the same office was arrested for selling illegal drugs, said Jubay.

They also arrested a PDEA employee last year.

The suspect is NOW detained at the city police lock up cell for violation of Dangerous Drugs Act and Illegal Possession of Firearms and Ammunitions. (LAAA/PNA)