A court-ordered search of the residence of an 18-year old student suspected of theft in Virac last week turned up two small plastic sachets of white crystalline granule believed to be shabu.
Last July 25, 2019 at 11:33 P.M., joint elements of the Virac police station, the Regional Intelligence Division-Catanduanes and the Provincial Intelligence Branch led by Major Bon Billy Timuat served the warrant on John Harold Flores Vargas, said to be a Grade 10 student at Catanduanes National High School, at his home in Calatagan Tibang.
After the search, the team confiscated a number of items as evidence, including a drone, two remote controls, accessories, six drone propellers, pocket wifi, Bluetooth mouse, router, Cream 21, portable microphone, digital camera, pouch box that contained the two sachets of suspected shabu, toothpaste, make-up kits, action camera, and kitchen knife with pink handle.
Vargas did not disavow knowledge or possession of the illegal drug, reports said, as it was the teener himself who opened the pouch and described its contents as shabu.
The search was conducted in the presence of barangay chairman Epifanio Linan, barangay kagawad Arnulfo Solsona and other designated witnesses.
Vargas was reportedly tagged as the suspect in the theft of jewelry worth about P300,000 from a Calatagan home and in other incidents, including the robbery at a store in Eastern Cavinitan where two laptops and various goods, including a make-up kit, were taken. The latter incident allegedly prompted a barangay official to say that the one responsible was probably a member of the third sex.
Meanwhile, three minors referred to local social workers after they admitted robbing the house of a Manambrag, San Andres barangay official last week.
Virgil Lazado, 55, the barangay treasurer, told the police that at 1 P.M. of May 30, 2019, he arrived at his house and discovered that it had been ransacked, with the P11,000 cash placed inside the Durabox missing.
He said he reported the matter to barangay captain Roger Romero on July 13, 2019. The three minors, aged 15 and 16 years old and all junior students of Manambrag National High School, admitted that they were the ones who forcibly entered the house and stole the money.
The report did not state if the entire cash or a portion of it was recovered by the police.
On the other hand, two fishermen from Viga were arrested by the police last July 23 in barangay Soboc in connection with a theft case filed against them before the 3rd Municipal Circuit Trial Court of Panganiban-Viga-Bagamanoc.
Alex Dayawon Bañares, 43, and Rene Cabrera Lopes, 48, who were nabbed by policemen led by Staff Sgt. Jordan Teope, will have to put up bail of P3,000 each for their provisional liberty.