URDANETA CITY – The prolific illegal drug trade in this emerging metropolitan center in Pangasinan, suffered a big setback when 10 persons were arrested by joint elements of the police in simultaneous anti-drug operations in the city on Tuesday.

Targets of the coordinated operations participated in by police operatives from the regional and provincial offices were six houses of Muslim families tagged as suspected drug dens located inside the Doña Trining Subdivision here.

The police confirmed previous reports that most of the illegal drugs being passed to drug dependents in eastern Pangasinan are being sourced out from that place.

A report relayed by Police Regional Director Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil Tuesday night stated that those arrested include three females and seven males, two of them minors.

At least 50.6 grams of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride called “shabu”, placed in different plastic sachets, were confiscated from different houses in the operations spearheaded by Senior Superintendent Alejandro Valerio, chief of the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group.

The raids, were participated in by elements of the Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division, Special Operations Group, Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Operations Task Group, Provincial Intelligence and Investigation Division and the Urdaneta City Police.
The raiders were armed with search warrants issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Rolando Mislang of Branch 43 in Dagupan City.

Separate cases of illegal possession of ammunitions will be filed by the police against two of the suspects as the searches in their respective buyers yielded, among others, ammunitions for different firearms.

Of the 10 arrested, only two were identified: They were couple De Leon Banisel and Kalifa Banisel, from whose house 2.6 grams of shabu were found, including P8,031.50 cash, believed to be part of the proceeds in the sale of shabu.

Charges against them have been promptly filed, the PNP said.

Eight other persons were found inside the house of Mohamad Ali and Nora Sultan, both of who, however, evaded arrest. Those taken in by the police for questioning were Sheryl Coral, Divina Arizo, Rolando Corpuz, Jovito Manuel, Camilo Rillorda, Abdul Rauf Ampuan, Jerry Pizarro and Oding Abidin.

The other target of the raid, Arimao Badron, evaded arrest. Lawmen however found 35.4 grams of shabu, one improvised package wrapped with tape, several pieces of empty sachets, one note book and one disposable lighter from his house.

He could also be charged with illegal possession of ammunitions as among those found at his residence were 32 bullets for Cal. 22, two bullets for Cal. 45 and P9,600 in cash.

The other suspect, Marian Zultan also evaded arrest but lawmen also found from her residence 16 plastic sachets of shabu weighing 8.5 grams, one weighing scale, two disposable lighters, two scissors, 15 pieces of empty plastic sachets, five bullets for Cal. 45 and 14 bullets for cal. 22, and others.

No shabu was found in the residence of the other Muslim couple known only as Jun and Rukma; and Omar Baguan.

Police Regional Director Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil congratulated all those who participated in the anti-drug operations for busting the prolific illegal drug trade in Urdaneta City.