50 arrested in raids in five suspected drug dens in QC

Authorities arrested 50 persons in separate raids in five suspected drug dens in Quezon City on Sunday night.

The arrests were conducted in Sitio San Roque in Barangay Bagong Pagasa, according to a report on Unang Balita by Athena Imperial.

Police said the suspects were caught taking shabu.

"Out of these five targets, 'yung dalawa po, doon po isinagawa 'yung buy bust operation," said Superintendent Giovanni Caliao, commander of Station 7 of the Quezon City Police District.

"Resulta po ito ng mga previous operations na ginawa namin sa area ng Cubao wherein ang lahat ng itinuturo po ng source nila ng ilegal na droga ay nanggagaling po rito sa lugar na ito," Caliao said.

Recovered from the alleged drug dens were 35 sachets of suspected shabu, drug paraphernalia, and buy bust money.

Some of the suspects, however, denied being involved in illegal drugs, and said police planted the illegal drugs as supposed evidence.

"Depensa na po nila 'yan kasi hindi naman po kami dadayo rito para gumawa lang ng ganyan," Caliao said.

Police said they also have surveillance video showing that illegal drugs are being used in the area.

QCPD director Chief Superintendent Joselito Esquivel said he will ask the barangay captain of Barangay Pagasa to explain the situation.

"Very alarming mga ganitong huli. Parang tiangge ang dating eh. Bakit umabot sa ganyan na 'di nare-report ng matagal na tayo, almost two years na tayo dio. Sa akin ha, bakit meron pang ganyan?" Esquivel said.

"So I am urging all my station commanders to closely coordinate with their barangay chairmen so that this thing will not happen anymore in Quezon City," he added. —KG, GMA News