US fraud suspect Herbert Leon Kimble, wanted by the FBI for allegedly orchestrating a $2 billion healthcare scam involving unnecessary orthopedic braces billed to Medicare, has been arrested in Pasig City and deported by Philippine authorities, who stress the country will not be a sanctuary for international fugitives.
Six people were arrested in separate anti-illegal drug operations across La Union on 17 August and early 18 August, with police recovering a combined 17 grams of suspected shabu and 10 grams of suspected dried marijuana leaves and fruiting tops.
The operations were conducted by local police units in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Region 1 (PDEA RO1) in Bacnotan, San Juan, Bangar, Balaoan, Aringay, and Agoo.
The largest drug seizure was recorded in Bacnotan, where police arrested a 29-year-old self-employed woman and recovered five grams of suspected shabu and 10 grams of suspected dried marijuana leaves and fruiting tops. Police valued the suspected shabu at P34,000 and the marijuana at P1,200.
Authorities also seized a genuine P1,000 buy-bust bill, coins, a glass tube locally known as a “swako,” an earphone, a vape, a cellphone, a helmet, and a Honda Click motorcycle.
In Aringay, police arrested a 25-year-old stockman from San Fernando City during an operation that ran from 11:45 p.m. on 17 August to 12:35 a.m. on 18 August. Authorities recovered five grams of suspected shabu worth P34,000, contained in four heat-sealed sachets.
Police said one sachet was sold to an undercover operative, while the other three were recovered from the suspect. Other items seized included a Marlboro cigarette pack, an Infinix cellphone, five photocopied P1,000 bills, a genuine P500 buy-bust bill, and a Suzuki FI motorcycle.
In Agoo, a 41-year-old married car electrician was arrested in an operation from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m. on 18 August. Police recovered three grams of suspected shabu valued at P20,400, along with a cellphone, a genuine P500 buy-bust bill, and a Rusi 110 motorcycle without a plate.
In Bangar, a 57-year-old driver was arrested after police recovered two grams of suspected shabu during an operation from 5:57 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Authorities also seized a glass tube, two lighters, a cellphone, genuine and counterfeit bills, and a Toyota Innova.
In Balaoan, police arrested a 41-year-old married helper and recovered one gram of suspected shabu contained in three heat-sealed sachets during an operation from 7 p.m. to 8:20 p.m. Police also seized genuine and boodle money and a cellphone.
Another one-gram seizure was recorded in San Juan, where police arrested a 29-year-old construction worker in a buy-bust operation from 6:03 p.m. to 6:40 p.m. The suspected shabu was contained in three heat-sealed sachets. Authorities also recovered brown tissue paper allegedly used as an improvised wrapper, a genuine P1,000 bill, and a P1,000 boodle bill.
Police said the operations were conducted separately under different PDEA RO1 control numbers.
The seized items were inventoried and marked at the respective operation sites in the presence of the suspects and mandatory witnesses, in accordance with legal procedures.
The suspects were placed under the custody of the respective police units for documentation and the filing of appropriate charges.
