HVT, 3 others nabbed in Zamboanga anti-drug ops

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- A high-value target (HVT) "drug personality" and three others were arrested while illegal drugs and a firearm were seized in separate anti-drug operations here in the region, a police official said Monday.

Maj. Helen Galvez, Police Regional Office-9 (PRO-9) information officer, identified the arrested suspects as Crisento Natividad, 44; Castro Binondo Jr., 41; Abdulbasar Aming, 42, and his wife, Samida, 41.

Natividad was caught in possession of some PHP2,200 worth of suspected shabu and PHP200 marked money when arrested in a buy-bust operation around 4:50 p.m. Sunday in Estrada Street, Barangay Tetuan here, Galvez said.

Galvez said Binondo, who is listed by the police as "top 7 priority drug personality," was arrested in a buy-bust operation around 8:30 p.m. Sunday in Purok 1, Barangay Nabilid, Roxas, Zamboanga del Norte.

Binondo yielded some PHP2,000 worth of suspected shabu and PHP500 marked money, police said.

The Aming couple, meanwhile, was arrested around 3 a.m. Monday in Barangay Kaumpurnah Zone 1, Isabela City, Basilan. They yielded some PHP25,000 worth of suspected shabu, a .38-caliber revolver with four rounds of live ammunition, illegal drug paraphernalia, PHP3,500 marked money, and PHP1,200 cash in different denominations, police said.

Galvez said the suspects were detained pending filing of formal charges.

Brig. Gen. Froilan Quidilla, PRO-9 director, earlier vowed to continue the anti-drug campaign without let-up even amid the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19) crisis. (PNA)