Police scored anew in the campaign against illegal drugs with the arrest of a former member of the New People’s Army (NPA) who yielded almost a million-peso worth of shabu during a raid in Sagbayan early morning yesterday, and other drug personalities in separate raids in other areas of the province.

The Municipal Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group (MAIDSOTG) of the Sagbayan Police Station, led by acting chief of police, PSInsp. Aniceto Alipoyo, swooped down the residence of one Marco Daño in Barangay Canmaya Diot at around 4 a.m. yesterday based on a search warrant dated February 11, 2016 issued by Judge Suceso Arcamo of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 47 in Tagbilaran City.

Daño, 35, single but with live-in partner, used to be a member of the NPA, according to authorities.

During the two-hour raid, the police team confiscated 23 small sachets and six bigger packs containing shabu.

The packs of shabu was found inside a small black coin purse.

The raiding team also found, in plain view, a cal. 38 SPL Revolver with ARMSCOR 2015 marking and with serial no. 44192 and with six live cartridges and holster.

After the recovery of the said items Daño was arrested, informed of the nature and cause of his arrest and of his rights under the law in the Visayan vernacular he understood.

He is now in police custody pending the filing of charges against him.

The raid was witnessed by Barangay Captain Glenn Sidney Samputon and Barangay Kagawad Enrico Celades, Gaspar Dangoy representing the DOJ and DYRD’s Weli Maestrado.

In Tagbilaran City, another suspected high-profile drug personality was arrested an alleged member of Vano Crime Group during a raid in Barangay Taloto at around 9:30 p.m. on February 10.

The city police identified the arrested person as Christopher Quiaoit, married and resident of Sitio Talisay, Barangay Taloto, Tagbilaran City.

Personnel of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), 703rd Maritime Police, Philippines Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Tagbilaran City Police conducted the raid based on a search warrant also issued by Judge Arcamo.

During the raid, a certain Adam Carlo Adtoon, a 23-year-old vegetable vendor in the barangay, was also seen inside the Quiaoit’s residence and was believed to be the latter’s cohort in the illegal activities.

The raiding team confiscated four large packs and a small pack of shabu inside the Quiaoit’s house which weighed around 30 grams with estimated value of P250,000.

The raiding team also confiscated a caliber 45 Colt pistol, a magazine with seven live ammunitions, and assorted drug paraphernalia. It was found that the firearm is a government model with serial number.

CIDG chief, Police Chief Inspector Teodoro Santos, said the arrested person is tagged as a member of a notorious criminal group known as Vano Group.

In Inabanga, police personnel arrested three alleged drug personalities during a buy-bust operation at around 12 noon on February 12 in Barangay Luyo.

PSInp. Rolando Antipolo, together with PO3 Ricky Remata, PO3 Cerlito Estillore, PO1 Jayson Kerk Pontimayor, the alert team and a confidential asset conducted the buy-bust operation in coordination with PDEA-7.

They caught one Carlito Bautista Jr., also known as “JunJun”, a 36-year-old resident of Barangay Luyo, handing two small sachets of shabu to the confidential police asset after the payment of four 100-peso bills that served as marked money.

Incidental to a lawful search on the arrested person, the police team confiscated one sachet in medium size containing shabu placed inside his small black leatherette pouch.

In the same operation, the police team arrested two more men caught in plain view in possession of sachets of shabu.

One was identified as Manuel Lofranco Jr., also known as “Awie”, 33 years old, married and jobless. The other was Jessie Niño Langam, also known as “Tambok”, 27 years old, single and jobless; both residents of Barangay Poblacion, Inabanga.

Lofranco was caught in possession of two small sachets of shabu, while Langam was caught in possession of three small sachets of shabu.

The three arrested persons are now temporarily detained at the lock-up jail of the Inabanga Police Station waiting for the appropriate charges to be filed against them.

All the packs of shabu confiscated from them weighed 5.014 grams with estimated value of P12,400.

In Buenavista, the police team arrested on Aquilino Agujar during a buy-bust operation at around 8 a.m. on February 10 in Barangay Sweetland.

Agujar yielded four sachets of shabu and the marked money.