65 rounded up in Laguna drug raid

Police rounded up at least 65 people, including minors, during an anti-drug operation of a suspected shabu tiangge (drug flea market) in Biñan in Laguna province Friday morning. Laguna police chief Senior Superintendent Pascual Muñoz said they served 15 search warrants for the area, where he said customers can play illegal video games while taking drugs. “Ang ating initial na pagpasok, meron tayong custodial investigation na 54 tao. Ongoing ang service ng 15 search warrants,” he said in an interview on dzBB radio before noon. In a separate interview Friday afternoon, he said the number of arrested had gone up to 65. He said some of them were minors who were to be turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development. The updated report said police seized some P60,000 worth of drugs and some firearms during the raid. Muñoz noted the raid was conducted on makeshift homes featuring “video karera” and “fruit game” machines in Canlalay village. He said the video game machines were "fronts" for the drug operation. Muñoz said at least 111 such game machines were seized in the raid. “Ginagawa nila sa makeshift na bahay, naroon ang fruit game, doon sila nagpa-pot session,” he said. — KBK, GMA News