Region -12 cops arrest 18, seize 13 high powered guns, P350,000 worth of shabu

KORONADAL CITY -- Police operatives in Region 12 today said it seized Php350,000 worth of prohibited drugs 13 high powered assorted firearms and arrested 18 persons in an overnight implementation of Oplan Double Barrel in the region. Supt. Romeo Galgo Jr, speaking for police in the SOCCSKSARGEN region, said 78 sachets of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride in small and medium size were in Gen. Santos City. Galgo said in Barangay Apopong, Gen Santos City, police arrested Jessa Kali Gocela during police anti-drug operation which led to the confiscation of 52 sachets of prohibited drugs. About 16 sachets of shabu were also recovered Andrea Visaya in an anti-drug operation conducted in Gen. Santos City at about 6:30 p.m. Galgo said during operation, Visaya revealed her sources of prohibited drugs was Gocela who was arrested earlier in the day. In T'boli, South Cotabato, the local police armed with arrest warrants also seized six sachets of shabu and a cal. 45 pistol from May Bezel Ponce and Garry John Azumbra during the 4:30 p.m. operation. A certain Ben Empleo was arrested during illegal drug buy bust opeation in Barangay Rubber, Polomolok, South Cotabato at 11 a.m. Thursday. Several sachets of shabu were recovered from Empleo. In Barangay Nabalawag, Midsayap, North Cotabato, 12 persons were arrested when elements of local police backed by the military responded to a citizen's report about the sightings of heavily armed men in the village Thursday afternoon. Galgo said seized from them were one cal. 50 machine gun, two M-79 grenade launchers, an M-14 rifle, cal. 30 Garand rifle, two M-16 rifles, a home-made pistol, two 12-gauge shotguns, a 357 pistol, a cal. 45 pistol, ammunition and several sachets of shabu. These group belongs to a team of illegal drug pushers in North Cotabato, Galgo said. He said police probers are still determining whether they belonged to the group of Mohammad Masgal alias Madrox, a big time illegal drug lord in North Cotabato and the province's most wanted person in illegal drug trade.