Thirteen persons allegedly engaged in pot sessions were arrested when police simultaneously raided two suspected drugs dens in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, police chief Ricardo de la Paz said yesterday.

Armed with search warrants issued by Judge Rogelio Beldia, three police teams led by de la Paz, Senior Inspector Victorino Romanillos and SPO3 Ramon Bartulin swooped down on the houses of Hermegildo Diaz and couple Cesar and Lanie Lumanog at Gustilo-Rizal streets, Brgy. 3, in San Carlos City, which are allegedly used as drug dens.

The simultaneous raids on Friday, which also included the house of Alfonso Gonzales, led to the arrests of Efren Canoy, Stephensor Broce, Albert Flores, Adolfo Jimena, Roderick Macalua, Filmore Ylaya, Julian Revilla, AllanYbanez, Almar Gonzales and Alfonso Gonzales.

De la Paz said a .38 caliber revolver was taken from the possession of Almar Gonzales, while a fan knife was recovered from Ylaya. The raids also yielded 14 sachets of suspected shabu and its paraphernalia.

De la Paz said the suspects were caught in the act of engaging in a pot session using shabu.

The suspects are now detained and are scheduled to be brought to Bacolod City for drug testing at the PNP Crime Laboratory today.

De la Paz said the Lumanog couple and Diaz will also be charged for violation of Section 6 of RA 9165, for maintaining a drug den, aside from illegal possession of drugs and its paraphernalia.

Almar Gonzales, Alfonso, Ybanez, Ylaya, Macalua, Jimena, Flores Broce and Canoy, may not only be charged for illegal possession of drugs and paraphernalia, but also for violation of PD 1866, or illegal possession of firearms, he added.

The arrest of the 13 persons came almost a week after the police also reported to have busted a criminal gang, composed of eight members, blamed for the series of robbery incidents in San Carlos City.

De la Paz said the eight suspected robbers were remitted to the San Carlos BJMP on Friday after they failed to post bail of P24,000 each for theft and robbery charges.*GPB

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