TWO drug suspects who allegedly used a water refilling station to deliver methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu to their clients were apprehended during a buy-bust operation Quezon City Thursday afternoon.
National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director Guillermo Eleazar identified the suspects as Ronald Pineda alias “Kuto,” 45, and Dante Destura, 31, both residents of Barangay Old Balara, Quezon City.
Members of NCRPO’s Regional Drug Enforcement Unit (RDEU) in coordination with Quezon City Police District’s Drug Enforcement Unit (DDEU) and Batasan Police Station’s Drug Enforcement Unit (SDEU) conducted a drug sting against Pineda and Destura around 3:30 p.m., Thursday.
Based on a 1:42-minute video from the RDEU, the raiding team arrested the suspects after Pineda sold five sachets of shabu to an undercover agent.
Eleazar said the operatives recovered from the suspects a total of 100 grams of shabu valued at R680,000 and the R1,000 marked money used in the entrapment.
“To cover up his transactions, Pineda uses a modus operandi by running a water refilling station as a legal front business for him to sell and transport illegal drugs while delivering water supplies to his clients,” Eleazar said.
It was later found out that Pineda, who previously resided in Barangay Pacundo, Pasay City, had been arrested twice by the Pasay City Police in 2008 for illegal drugs charges.
Pineda and Destura were brought to the NCRPO-RDEU detention cell and charged with violation of Republic Act 9165 (The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. (Martin A. Sadongdong)
