Cops nab 4 alleged drug pushers in Butuan City

BUTUAN CITY — Authorities arrested four people after being caught in the act of possessing alleged shabu, and brought 10 others for questioning at the city's police station. Armed with seven seach warrants issued by the Butuan City Regional Trial Court Branch 4, operatives led by Police Supt. Francisco Dungo Jr. nabbed four people and held 10 others during a buy-bust operation and raids on several houses in Purok 3, Barangay San Ignacio in the city last Tuesday morning. The police seized from the four 19 sachets of shabu, cash worth around P9,000, three rounds live ammunition of caliber .38 handgun, drug paraphernalia such as empty sachets and lighters, and mobile phones. A report from the Caraga Police regional information office identified the four arrested as Mark Sol Gumbay Mangatong, 21; Mokalidin Gumbay Mangatong, 24; Taas Sultan y Ampaso,26; and Kaddafi Lumayon y Casan, 32. They are all residents of the nearby Purok 4 in Barangay San Ignacio. Three other suspects, having aliases Mama, Mar and Benz, who were also named in the search warrants eluded arrest. The 10 others who were in the raid scene and were brought to the police station for questioning are Eric Olangcaya, 32; Niña Panyurutan Santos; Lovel Beri Banlas, 24; Emilio Perez Tidalgo Jr, 29; and Abdul Ameril Bandira, 18; Ali Samporna y Datu, 31; Reynan Valdehueza Galimba, 21; Honeylie Saspa Manulat, 22; Ronaldo Talan y Torita, 30; and Camilo Maniago Acdal, 28. Caraga Police regional director Chief Supt. Reynaldo S. Rafal congratulated the Butuan City police operatives and ordered further investigation on the conduct of illegal drug businesses in the city. — Ben Serrano/Karlitos Brian Decena/LBG, GMA News