Camp BGen Efigenio C Navarro, Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro – PRO MIMAROPA anti-illegal drugs operatives captured two drug personalities (live-in partners) in a buy-bust operation in Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro, Sunday afternoon, March 20, 2022.

Oriental Mindoro Police Provincial Office Director, Police Colonel RENANTE C CABICO, identified the arrested partners as Elena Bajeta Patisucan a.k.a Ellen, 47, listed as a Provincial level High-Value Individual (HVI); and Gerardo Malapote Romero, 54, who both hail from Sitio Morente Ville, Brgy. Wawa, Pinamalayan town.

The live-in partners were arrested after allegedly selling two heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets, containing “shabu,” in exchange for Php 500.00 to a police poseur-buyer in a joint operation led by the elements of Pinamalayan Municipal Police Station Drugs Enforcement Team (MDET), together with the Oriental Mindoro PPO Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU), and the Provincial Intelligence Unit (PIU) at about 12:50 PM in Sitio Gumamela, Brgy. Cacawan of the said town.

Also seized from the suspects’ possession were four pieces of sachets of suspected shabu, the five-hundred-peso-bill buy-bust money, and other paraphernalia.

The estimated aggregate quantity of suspected shabu recovered from the suspect is more or less 3.79 grams, valued at Php18,950.00.

As of press time, the arrested suspects are under the custody of the Pinamalayan MPS, while the criminal complaint about a violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 (RA 9165) is being prepared for the inquest proceedings against them.

Based on the PNP Drug-Related Data Integration and Generation System (DRDIGS) of the Regional Operations Division, Police Regional Office MIMAROPA has scored 77 operations from January 1 to March 20, 2022.

During the same period, 81 suspects were arrested by the said police regional office, yielding a total of 261.430 grams of “shabu,” valued at Php 1,777,724.

Police Regional Office MIMAROPA Regional Director, Police Brigadier General SIDNEY SULTAN HERNIA, lauded the operating units for their commitment and hard work in the intensified campaign against illegal drugs.

“I congratulate the operatives of Pinamalayan MPS and Oriental Mindoro for the successful conduct of a buy-bust operation that led to the arrest of these drug personalities. This is proof that the PNP is relentless in pursuing criminals behind illegal drugs problem in the region.” PBGen Hernia said.– RPIO MIMAROPA.