A suspected drug dealer and his alleged runner were arrested in successive raids at their respective homes in Tagbilaran City in the wee hours of Thursday.
According to Major Patrick Ramillano, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) – Bohol which led the operations, suspect Gaylord Gelemeo yielded shabu worth P170,000 and a .38 revolver during a raid at his home in Barangay Booy at 3 a.m.
Gelemeo was placed under surveillance for over a month for suspected involvement in the drug illegal trade after barangay officials noticed his illegal drug operations, said Ramillano.
Village officials also allegedly spotted him wielding a firearm.
Joint operatives of the CIDG, the 703rd Maritime Police and the Tagbilaran City police Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit raided Gelemeo’s home bearing a search warrant issued by Judge Leo Moises, executive presiding judge of the Regional Trial Court Branch 3 in Tagbilaran City.
The same team then swooped on the house of Cres Ipanag, 40, in Barangay Booy through a separate search warrant at 5 a.m. on the same day.
Ramillano said that the CIDG confirmed Ipanag’s involvement in the drug trade after he was repeatedly seen with Gelemeo during police surveillance operations.
Ipanag was allegedly caught in possession of a .38 caliber revolver, four packets of suspected shabu and drug paraphernalia.
Both suspects have been placed under police custody pending the filing of charges for illegal possession of firearms and drugs against them. (W. Maestrado)