LINGAYEN, Pangasinan –The Pangasinan police has not relaxed its campaign against illegal drugs though the province has been declared drug-cleared before the end of last year with the arrest of two suspected drug pushers on Wednesday.
Arrested by joint operatives of the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit of Police Regional Office 1, Regional Intelligence Division, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Pangasinan and the Mapandan police station in a drug buy-bust operation in Barangay Poblacion, Mapandan at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday was Rouella Rosell y Cabanlig, 39.
She was immediately handcuffed by lawmen after selling one small plastic sachet containing suspected “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride) to a poseur buyer who paid her PHP500 marked money.
Mapandan was among 11 towns and one city in Pangasinan earlier declared drug-cleared by the police, a finding validated and confirmed by PDEA regional office.
Seized from the suspect were four other small and two medium sachets containing suspected shabu, four aluminum foil strips, two aluminum foil tooters and two lighters.
Also arrested in a separate buy-bust sting in Barangay Alipangpang, Pozorrubio at 3:20 p.m., also on Wednesday, was Mark Anthony Clarin, alias “Tonet”, 18, a Grade 9 student, who was tagged by the police as a newly identified drug personality in the town.
He was arrested after selling one piece of heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet containing dried marijuana leaves with fruiting tops to a policeman who acted as poseur-buyer.
Recovered from his possession, control and custody were one marked PHP100 bill and three more plastic sachets containing dried marijuana leaves with fruiting tops.
Both suspects were charged with violations of Section 5 and 11 of Article II of Republic Act 9165.
Chief Inspector Norman Florentino, Pangasinan police public information officer, said they are still awaiting official validation by PDEA on the other municipalities in the province declared drug-cleared by the police. PNA-northboundasia.com