Two trusted men of big-time drug lord Kerwin Espinosa were cornered by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) during a buy-bust operation near the city’s Integrated Bus Terminal yesterday afternoon.
The NBI-Bohol team arrested Victor Aguilar, also known as Joe, and Marlowe Dano past 5 p.m. yesterday after a tedious surveillance conducted during the past months
Aguilar, a 36-year-old resident of barangay Sagasa; and Dano, a 21-year-old resident of barangay Hanopol, both in the town of Balilihan, have been known members of Espinosa’s drug ring operating in Bohol.
NBI-Bohol members confiscated 14 bulto-size packs of shabu and two loaded caliber 45 pistols from them during the operation.
Espinosa’s drug ring had been tagged as one of the major sources of drugs peddled in Bohol.
In fact, reports were confirmed that the young Espinosa used to visit the province to check on his drug business here. Unconfirmed reports said the Espinosas were buying acres of land here.
No less than President Rodrigo Duterte named Espinosa as a big-time druglord operating in the Visayas while he attributed the flowing drug supply in the province to the Leyte born drug lord.
PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Group operatives, upon the order of PNP Director General Ronald Dela Rosa, arrested Espinosa in Abu Dhabi in coordination with Abu Dhabi authorities.
PNP managed to track down Espinosa’s whereabouts based on a tip provided by Overseas Filipino Workers in Abu Dhabi.
His father, Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. had earlier admitted his son’s involvement in the illegal drug trade after the raid in their house which yielded a cache of firearms and ammunitions.
Meanwhile, the City Anti-Illegal Drug Special Operation Task Group (CAIDSOTG) arrested two of notorious drug peddlers in the city through a buy-bust operation at around 9:30 p.m. on October 24.
One of the buy-bust subjects, Roy Nueva, a 35 year-old driver from barangay Angilan in Antequera at first managed to escape. The cops, however, arrested his companion, Wilmar Cornel, a 21 year-old resident of barangay Taloto, this city.
The operatives then convinced Cornel to pinpoint Nuevas’ whereabouts as he directed the cops to the latter’s house in barangay Booy, this city.
Nuevas was spotted at said house and was immediately arrested by CAIDSOTG operatives led by SPO4 Yolando Bagotchay. (with reports from Rey Tutas and Allen Doydora)
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