Two big sachets of shabu worth an estimated P68,000 were seized from a Virac billiard hall owner during a buy-bust operation conducted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) last Feb. 2, 2022.
Law enforcers from PDEA Catanduanes led by provincial officer Investigation Agent 1 Van Dyke Fidelson, together with elements of the Virac police station headed by Lt. Arnee Julius Dedase, collared the 40-year old suspect, whom it identified only as “JR,” at 5 PM inside the billiard hall at barangay San Roque.
A source named the suspect as one Danny Christian Domingo, a resident of Marcelo Alberto.
The police team, which also included personnel of the Catanduanes Police Intelligence Unit and the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit under the supervision of Maj. Robert Kevin Caparroso, also recovered the P1,000 bill used as buy-bust money.
The operation and inventory of evidence was witnessed by barangay officials and personnel from the Department of Justice.
The police report stated that the suspect had already been charged with violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, in January 2018 after a police raid on their house but was acquitted of all charges.
Recently, the police received numerous tips from concerned citizens through the E-Sumbong Mo Kay Tsip hotline regarding his returning to active participation in illegal drug transactions, prompting the police to launch the operation.
He is now detained at the Virac MPS pending the filing of formal charges against him before the Provincial Prosecution Office.