Man arrested for allegedly selling drugs to fellow fishermen in Navotas

A 48-year old man was arrested in Barangay Tanza, Navotas for allegedly selling illegal drugs to his fellow fishermen, Navotas Police said Monday.

The man was nabbed by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued in 2022.

He is also allegedly part of a bigger group of drug pushers in Navotas, known to have fishermen as their main market.

“Madalas gumagamit sila ng bangka para hindi sila mahuli ng pulis,” said Navotas police patrol operations chief Police Major Anthony Mondejar. “Iyong pagtawid nila sa ibang lugar, sa karatig na siyudad ng Navotas kaya nahihirapan tayong tuntunin talaga siya, kung saan iyong partikular na tinatambayan ng suspek natin.”

(They often use boats, so the police won’t catch them. They cross over to other areas and cities near Navotas, so it’s hard for us to pin down where they usually stay.)

Mondejar said the suspect went in hiding for over two years.

Surveillance operations of the police also took a while because, Mondejar said, they had to catch the suspect at a time when they were docked at the port.

“Madalas, nasa laot sila at iba-iba iyong sinasakyan niyang bangka para hindi siya mahuli,” he added.

(Most of the time, he’s out at sea and he uses different boats so he won’t get caught.)

Mondejar said the leaders of the supposed crime group, which the suspect belongs to, were arrested before him.

But the suspect continued selling illegal drugs to other fishermen because, Mondejar said, he was already familiar with the system.

“Tinuloy niya iyong transaksyon ng grupo…Marami na siyang ibang kaso. Natatakot sa kaniya iyong mga complainant at hindi nagdedemanda,” Mondejar added.

(He continued the transactions of the group…He has a lot of other cases but the complainants are often afraid of him so they don’t push through with filing the complaint.)

Police records reveal the suspect was previously involved in robbery and stabbing incidents.

Although initially mum, the suspect admitted to using illegal drugs for over a decade.

He, however, denied selling it.

“Kailangan po kasi ‘pag nangingisda po eh…Kasi po sa mga pananakit ng katawan,” the suspect argued.

(I need it when my body aches while going out to catch fish.)

The suspect is facing a complaint for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. —KG, GMA Integrated News