Ex-seaman arrested after yielding P7-M cocaine in Iloilo

A former seaman was arrested after being caught in possession of at least one kilo of cocaine with an estimated cost at P7 million, in an anti-drug operation in Iloilo province Tuesday. Radio dzBB reported Wednesday the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and Iloilo police arrested former seaman Carlito Buen, 50, during the sting operation. PDEA Western Visayas head Paul Ledesma said PDEA and police agents recovered the cocaine from Buen, after being tipped off that he was selling the illegal drug to wealthy people in the area. The sting operation took place at Maninila village in Miag-ao town in Iloilo, three days after undercover agents bought a gram of cocaine from Buen. The report quoted Ledesma as saying local police had to seek PDEA’s help in Buen’s arrest because he knew the police operatives in the area. Police are verifying information that Buen got his cocaine from Samar province in Eastern Visayas, where several cocaine bricks were recovered in past months. — LBG, GMANews.TV