by: larry madarang and emely cayandag- fama
CAMP BADO DANGWA, Benguet—After eluding arrest for almost a month, the drug leader of the Darang drug syndicate was nabbed by members of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Cordillera Administrative Region (PDEA-CAR) over the week.
Chief Inpector Edgar Apalla, OIC head of the PDEA-CAR identified the suspect as Yunos Subuyogan Darang, 34 years old, a Muslim businessman, a native of Marawi City and Lanao Del Sur and presently residing at #120 Pineswood Village, Crystal Cave, Bakakeng Central, Baguio City.
Darang, according to Apalla is listed as a “High Value” targets in the Cordillera region as he heads on of the drug syndicates being under the watch list PDEA operating in the region .
The Darang Group according to Apalla gets its supply of shabu from Cavite, Dagupan City and Urdaneta City in Pangasinan, Culiat in Quezon City, and Quiapo and Taguig City in Metro Manila and distributes shabu in Baguio City, La Trinidad and other nearby towns of Benguet.
Darang was arrested in a buy-bust operation on Monday night, he was nabbed together with Arnold Lopez Manalundong with two sachets of shabu in their possession.
Apalla said, they are now looking what extend is the involvement of Manuludong in the drug syndicate.
Manaludong, 37, single, Christian, a vendor by profession, a native of Surigao Del Sut and presently residing at #3 Marcos Highway, Bakakeng Central, Baguio City according to Apalla acted as the runner (liaison) between a PDEA agent (who acted as a buyer of illegal drugs) and Darang.
A case for Violations of Republic Act 9165 (The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002), particularly Section 11 (Possession of Dangerous Drugs) against Darang; Section 15 (Use of Dangerous Drugs) against Manalundong, since a urine sample taken from him gave positive test result for shabu; and Section 5 (Sale, Trading, Administration, Dispensation, Delivery, Distribution and Transportation of Dangerous Drugs and/or Controlled Precursors and Essential Chemicals) in relation to Section 26b (Attempt or Conspiracy to sell, trade, administer, dispense, deliver, distribute and transport any dangerous drug and/or controlled precursor and essential chemical) against both of them, was already filed before the Office of the City Prosecutor in Baguio City, with NPS Docket No. INQ-09-01157.
Authorities are also verifying information that Darang shot at least two persons during two shooting incidents he was involved in the past.
The neutralization of the Darang drug syndicate is part of Case Operation Plan “Break Crystal Cave”. Apalla said.
On May 29, four members of the Darang drug group were arrested in a dawn raid by PDEA-CAR, Police Regional Office-Cordillera (PRO-Cor) and the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO).
The suspects arrested during the raid were identified as Alekan Madid y Datumanong alias “Aliekan Madid y Hadji” or “Alvin”, 24, native of Maging, Lanao Del Sur and his wife, Snauray Madid y Darang alias “Snauriay Sabuyugan y Madid”, 27, native of Narra, Palawan; and two minors.
The four were arrested by virtue of a search warrant issued by Executive Judge Marybelle Demot Mariñas of Branch 8, Regional Trial Court, 1st Judicial Region, La Trinidad, Benguet on May 22, 2009.
Seized from the suspects were three medium sachets and one small sachet of shabu weighing a total of 2.13 grams and having an estimated overall street price of PhP25,000.00; assorted drug paraphernalia and essential chemicals; a caliber .45 pistol with a magazine and four live bullets; a samurai and a hunting knife; a laptop, CCTV camera, motion detector, television set and video cassettes; and various bank books, Automated Teller Machine cards and credit cards, blank checks with a checking account located in Dasmariñas, Cavite, duplicates of deposit slips to a bank account also in Dasmariñas, Cavite, and other substantiations of suspected proceeds derived from illegal trafficking of dangerous drugs and/or precursors and essential chemicals.**karitoon.com |
