A team of law enforcers from various police units arrested a construction worker in a buy-bust operation in Virac that led to the confiscation of P204,000 worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride last Friday night.
In its report, the Catanduanes Police Provincial Police said that joint elements of the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit (RPDEU) as lead unit, together with the Virac police station led by PEMS Louie Garcia and the Catanduanes Police Intelligence Unit (CATPIU) in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), collared the 31-year-old suspect, a resident of barangay Rawis, in the anti-illegal drug operation that went down at the covered court of nearby Sta. Cruz at 9:41 PM of Aug. 1, 2025.
Aside from the plastic sachet containing white crystalline substance believed to be shabu that the suspect sold to the undercover police officer, he also yielded four other sachets containing the suspected dangerous drug.
The four other sachets were inside two pieces of folded paper and a plastic bottle found in the suspect’s back pocket as well as at the white Motorstar motorcycle that he used.
Also seized by the team were a coin purse containing P1,100, the buy-bust money consisting of a genuine P1,000 bill and nine fake ones, a black pouch, Realme and Huawei smart phones, and a cigarette lighter.
The evidence was inventoried on site in the presence of barangay kagawad Froilan Mendoza of Sta. Cruz and Larry Arcilla of the Provincial Prosecution Office as mandatory witnesses.
The suspect, identified by Rawis resident as one Luis Michael Delluza Tabuzo, will be charged with violation of Sections 5 and 11 of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, for the sale and possession of dangerous drugs.
In a statement, Virac police chief Maj. Kenneth Ding Gutierrez described the suspect as a known pusher in the Virac población as reported to the police by residents with personal knowledge of his activities.
He warned those involved in the illegal drug trade that they will face justice for their violation of law, especially in the light of the heightened campaign against illegal drugs, illegal gambling and other illegal activities.
The move is pursuant to the standing order of Governor Patrick Alain Azanza for the police to arrest anyone involved in illegal drugs as it is root cause of crime, violence and other nefarious activities.