Another rookie police officer in Surigao City was arrested in a police buy-bust operation against illegal drugs late Friday evening.
A police raiding team led by Senior Inspector Ernesto Marcos Jr., of the Intelligence Section of the Philippine National Police here arrested Police Officer 1 Michael Niño Ballero Morales, 34 in the buy-bust operation in Purok 12, Sitio Kabalawan, Barangay San Juan.
Seized from the suspect were 3.9 grams of suspected shabu valued at 36,000 pesos, drug paraphernalia, cellphone and 1,000 pesos marked money.
Morales, assigned at the Provincial Police Office had gone AWOL (Absence without official leave).
Marcos said Morales is a high-value target listed as number 10 among suspects in the illegal drugs trade, who did not surrender under Project Tokhang.
He is now temporarily detained at the Surigao City Police Station.
Last Thursday afternoon, a raiding team from the Police Regional Intelligence Division Unit arrested a dismissed police officer and a companion during a drug buy-bust operation here.
Arrested at Purok 7, Barangay San Juan was ex-PO3 Frederick P. Cosmiano, 41, who was previously assigned at the Surigao City Intelligence Division.
Nabbed with him was Junie Estoque Matin-ao, 40.
The former policeman was caught in possession of a large size of heat-sealed plastic sachet containing suspected shabu.
Cosmiano was dismissed from service last September when he tested positive for shabu.
On November 4, two active policemen in Surigao City were arrested at an inn during a buy-bust operation.
The two cops, identified as PO1 Arnel Galve Odog and PO2 Ronnie Capanpan Custodio, are now behind bars.
Odog was a member of PNP-Maritime Group assigned in Surigao City while Custodio was with the Tagana-an Municipal Police Station. (MindaNews)
