Operatives from various law enforcement groups arrested five suspected drug personalities in two separate sting operations in Tanjay City and Dumaguete City yesterday.

Tanjay police station men and those from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force arrested Roxanne Macasilhig, 18, of Azagra; Ryan Banogon, 24, of Palanas; and Mendeljohn Manaban, 32, of Hilawod, all in Tanjay City during a buy-bust operation where an undercover agent purchased suspected shabu from them, Chief Insp. Domeneciano Distrito Jr., Tanjay police chief, said.

Recovered from them were two transparent plastic sachets containing suspected shabu, another plastic sachet with residue of suspected shabu and a P500 marked bill.

Hours later, two more suspected drug peddlers were arrested also in a buy-bust operation at a food chain outlet in Dumaguete City.

The operation was done after the arresting team in Tanjay City used the mobile phone of one of the arrested suspects to arrange for a meet-up in Dumaguete, Distrito said.

The suspects arrested in Dumaguete were identified as Michael Teves Manaay, 33, married, of San Antonio Village in Sibulan, Negros Oriental, and Bimbo Ceriales, of Pulantubig in Dumaguete City. Manaay is said to be the son of a politician in northern Negros Oriental.

Confiscated from Manaay and Ceriales were a transparent plastic sachet containing white substance believed to be shabu, a digital weighing scale and a lighter, among others.

Police sources said the arrests of the suspects in Tanjay City and Dumaguete City confirmed reports that persons involved in the illegal drugs trade were operating between both cities, Tanjay having been tagged as a “haven” of illegal drugs.

The suspects were subjected to drug tests at the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory in Dumaguete and are now detained pending the filing of charges against them.*JFP

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