POLICE operatives on Monday collared 12 Negrenses, including a barangay official, in a raid conducted in Zone 4 in Cadiz City.

Operatives swooped down on drug den allegedly maintained by Elpidia Quiatchon alias Pedia, 43, a village councilor.

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Quiatchon was allegedly the “maintainer” and “supplier” of the drug den, said Police Chief Inspector Rico Santotome Jr, spokesman of the Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office (Noppo) and the chief of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group.

The raid was conducted jointly by the Special Operations Task Force-AIDSOTG and the 611th Provincial Mobile Group.

Santotome said that Quiatchon, along with her husband alias Borontoy Quiatchon and son alias Nigor Quiatchon, were the subject of the buy-bust operation anti illegal drug operatives around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Also arrested were Mon Brian Quiatchon, 18, Shiela Mae Causing, 20, Joel Atrocio alias Jojo, 33, and Rolando Bautista, 39, Diana Canones, 46, Catherine Bautista, 46, Jojean Caceres, 25, Julius Calvo, 30, Kim Destacamento, 31, Jonathan Alob, 48, and Ramor Dela Cruz, 25, all residents of Cadiz City.

The two other Quiatchons evaded arrest along with "spotter" Antonio Claro, Santotome said.

Recovered from the den were eight sachets of suspected shabu worth P5,000, numerous illegal drugs paraphernalia, six cellular phones, P2,946 cash, and the P1,500 marked money, he said.

The raid in Cadiz City brought to 104 the number of neutralized illegal drugs personalities in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City by the SOTF-AIDSOTG from April to November, this year which Santotome said, had led to the busting of eight drug dens.

Gun replicas

Meanwhile, P60,000 worth of gun replicas were seized in cities of Bago and Cadiz involving 400 toy guns.

The confiscation was in relation to Letter of Instructions (LOI) 1264 authorizing the Philippine National Police to seize toy guns which are of the same size, color and shape of real firearms, Santotome said.

The combined elements of the Bago City police led by Police Superintendent Melchor Coronel and the Intelligence Branch of Noppo led by Police Officer 3 Junji Liba, swooped down on five stalls along Rizal Street in Bago City Monday afternoon and confiscated P30, 000 worth of the banned toy guns.

Also, in Cadiz City, the SOTF led by Santotome confiscated 200 gun replicas inside J-Hock Marketing in Villasin Street reportedly owned by Henry Cai. A total P30,000 worth were seized.

Noppo director Manuel Felix stressed that gun replicas are being confiscated by the PNP “since these toy guns might be used by criminal elements in their nefarious activities like robbery hold-up and the like.” (George M. De La Cruz)