South Cotabato cops arrest Indian in shabu session

KORONADAL CITY - After several weeks of surveillance operations, police arrested in
Surallah, South Cotabato an Indian national engaged in money-lending business
while in the act of sniffing prohibited drugs Friday morning, police here said
today.

Three others,
including a minor, were arrested in anti-drug operation.

Indian
national as Gushan Singh, 23 and a resident of Barangay Zone 3, Koronadal City,
did not resist arrest, according to Chief Inspector Joel Fuerte, Surallah town
police chief.

Friday
morning, Fuerte said, Singh travelled on a motorbike from this city to Surallah
where he met with Eugene Lapiad of Barangay Zone 2, Surallah at the latter's
house.

He has
been doing it regularly and to confirm it we placed him under
surveillance, Fuerte said of the Indian national. They were caught
in the act of sniffing prohibited drugs at 9 a.m., Fuerte told Radyo Bida Koronadal.

Also seized
from them were two sachets of methamphetamine hydrochloride, also known as
shabu, improvised tooter and shabu paraphenalia.

Fuerte said
two other illegal drug personalities were arrested by agents of the Philippine
Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Surallah hours before the Indian national was
nabbed.

Kath Abad,
PDEA-12 spokesperson, said anti-narcotics agents arrested Randy Aliperio, 32
and a 16-year-old boy during anti-drug operation in Barangay Talahik Surallah,
Surallah.

Fuerte said
Aliperio has been using the minor as runner who buys prohibited
drugs from Barangay Ambalgan in Sto Nino town, also in South Cotabato, a known
illegal drug haven.

These
people use minors because they know these children could not be detained for
violating anti-narcotics laws, Fuerte said. The minor has been turned over to the local
social welfare office while Aliperio was detained along with Singh and Lapiad.

Charges for
violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002
are being prepared against the suspects.