Another food vendor from barangay Buyo, Virac has been arrested in a drug buy-bust operation conducted by the police in a población barangay late Saturday afternoon.
Just eight days after nailing a woman vendor engaged in selling illegal drugs in the side, joint elements of the Virac police station as lead unit, together with personnel from the Catanduanes Police Intelligence Unit (CATPIU) and Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit (RPDEU) led by PEMS Louie Garcia, nabbed Michael Carual Magtagñob, 45, single and a resident of Purok 1, San Vicente St., Buyo.
He was arrested as soon as he handed over a transparent plastic sachet containing suspected shabu to an undercover police officer at 5:03 PM of Aug. 30, 2025.
A subsequent search resulted in the confiscation of the sachet containing the drug and the boodle money consisting of a genuine P500 bill and a fake P1,000 bill.
The inventory of the evidence was made in the presence of mandatory witnesses barangay kagawad Froilan Mendoza of Sta. Cruz and Office of the Provincial Prosecutor representative Manilyn Olapani.
The suspect will be charged with violation of Sec. 5 of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 for the sale of dangerous drugs.
It may be recalled that last Aug. 22, a similar police operation netted food vendor Cindy Aras Rosales, 45, also of the same address as Magtagñob, in the buy-bust that played out in the barangay itself.
According to Virac police chief PMaj. Kenneth Ding C. Gutierrez, his office received information from concerned residents regarding the illegal activities of the suspect in the village.
“We will continue to heighten the campaign against illegal drugs, illegal gambling and similar crimes,” he said as he warned that those involved will not be able to escape the long arm of the law.
The latest successful operation is part of the continuous effort of the Virac police, with the assistance of other agencies, in ensuring the safety and order of the community.