They came to serve an arrest warrant to a wanted drug suspect after a botched drug bust last April along Graham Avenue, this city, only to bag a high value target. There was no inkling on the part of an eight-man city police team that it has for a “catch” a drug personality already in the business of using high tech gadgets to peddle his wares. Caught unaware, the long wanted Lynn Bas y Tabuno a.k.a as Lennox Bas, 31, a resident of Graham Avenue, this city, fell into a police dragnet after he was served an arrest warrant in connection with the drug raid at his Graham residence last April. The warrant was served at Room 5, Travel Lodge Pension House, in Mansasa district, this city at 6:20 yesterday morning.
The “accidental find” yielded for the suspect a sizable volume of suspected shabu granules which according to city police that once proven to be genuine according to Republic Act 9165 otherwise known as the Dangerous Drug Act of 1972 as amended, possession of the same quantity is tantamount to a non-bailable crime. Noting that the suspect was no ordinary drug dealer in the hierarchy of drug personalities, the suspect, according to police sources, can be categorized as a drug lord as evidenced from the volume of shabu confiscated in his possession. In a check with City Mayor Dan Neri Lim last night, he said the drug suspect was considered the biggest catch the city has ever seen. He also volunteered the information that the suspect was the main supplier of practically the city’s who’s who of drug users. His clients included balikbayans who have been hooked to drugs and former small-time public officials.
An itemized inventory of all the suspected shabu granules found in his rented room in the Mansasa pension house included: two packs big transparent cellophane containing suspected shabu granules; one pack smaller than the two big packs; three pcs big transparent cellophane sachets; two pcs long size transparent sachet ; 13 pcs regular size transparent cellophane sachet; four pcs small transparent cellophane sachets; 11 pcs transparent cellophane sachets; seven pcs aluminum foil; one big rolled aluminum foil; two pcs improvised tooter with traces of suspected shabu granules; two pcs improvised funnel with traces of suspected shabu granules; two pcs improvised funnel with traces of suspected shabu granules; one pack cellophane containing voluminous transparent pack’; and 12 pcs disposable lighter and one lighter mark with Earth 08 with dollar sign.
Aside from the prohibited drugs and other paraphernalia, the suspect also yielded a digital weighing scale, at least eight cell phones, P1,500 cash, one piece ball pen with USB inside, a black laptop and a replica of a firearm (airsoft). As an indication of his sophisticated operations, also found in his possession was a Mitsubishi Pajero parked infront of the seaside lodge. The vehicle is now impounded at the city police station. The drug suspect when arrested was with his girlfriend identified as Rosalyn Banys y Bernales, 19, single of Cabulao, Mabini town. The female companion who is said to be the suspect’s girlfriend open the rented room when the arresting officers knocked the door to serve the warrant. Another suspect identified as Timoteo Rios y Polvera, 34, single and a native of Libertad, Tubigon, Bohol was arrested with the couple. He narrated to police investigators that he was hired as carpenter of the live-in partners. Except for the two, the drug suspect is now locked up at the city jail.
According to police investigators, the two - girlfriend and carpenter, were released after they were not caught in a pot session which would have made them liable. The eight-man police team was headed by Police Inspector Adriano Bacus while his team members were PO3 Ambraham Paeste, P02 Alberto Kudemus, PO1 Fernando Galan, SPO2 Julieto Udbina, SPO2 Yolando Bagotchay, Jr., PO3 Jimboy Villapaz and PO3 Reynaldo Calimbayan. The arrest warrant was issued by RTC Regional Trial Court Presiding Judge Suceso Arcamo of Branch 47. He was the same judge who issued the search warrant in the drug bust in the suspect lair at Graham Avenue last April. The bond recommended when he was wanted on the basis of the April warrant was P200,000. In 2003, the same suspect was arrested for a drug case but was dismissed for insufficiency of evidence.
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