CIDG seizes P29.5M worth of shabu wrapped as Christmas gift
Upon giving the “gift” to the recipient along Sixth Street at the North Reclamation Area in Cebu City at around 6 p.m. on Friday, Roljoy Rosette, 33; and Joshel Delfin de Jesus, 28, were immediately arrested by a group of policemen (CIDG PHOTO).
CEBU CITY–Wanting to have money for Christmas, two men agreed to deliver a paper bag whose content they did not know.
Upon giving the “gift” to the recipient along Sixth Street at the North Reclamation Area in Cebu City at around 6 p.m. on Friday, Roljoy Rosette, 33; and Joshel Delfin de Jesus, 28, were immediately arrested by a group of policemen.
They had no idea they were transacting with an undercover policeman.
Inside the Christmas paper bag were two large packs of shabu (methamphetamine) weighing two and a half kilo worth P29.5 million based on the Dangerous Drugs Board value, said Supt. Fermin Armendarez, deputy chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Central Visayas (CIDG-7).
Charges for violating Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, particularly for selling illegal drugs, will be filed against the suspects before the Cebu City Prosecutors’ Office next week.
The offense is non-bailable.
Both Rosette and Delfin denied peddling illegal drugs.
“We were just requested to deliver this one,” Rosette, a motorcycle-for-hire driver, told reporters.
He said one of his male passengers requested him to deliver the paper bag to another man who would pick it up on Sixth Street in Barangay Carreta, Cebu City.
The passenger, he said, promised to give him P1,000 when he returns.
“Had I known that the paper bag contained shabu, I should not have agreed to deliver it. I really had no idea what its content was,” said Rosette, a resident of Barangay Quiot in Cebu City.
Rosette said he could remember the face of his passenger but did not know the latter’s name.
He said he was given P250 as taxi fare. Rosette said he requested his friend De Jesus, a construction worker, to accompany him in delivering the paper bag.
When they arrived in the area, they gave the paper bag to a man who in turn gave them another paper bag that contained money bills.
Rosette and De Jesus were then arrested.
I regretted delivering the paper bag,” Rosette said.
De Jesus, on his part, said he agreed to accompany Rosette, hoping that he too will get P1,000 from the man who requested his friend to deliver the paper bag.
“We could use the money this Christmas,” he said.
Like Rosette, De Jesus said he did not have any idea that the paper bag they delivered contained illegal drugs.
Four months ago, Armendarez said they have received an information that the suspects were selling large amount of shabu.
The CIDG-7 agents transacted with the suspects but the latter allegedly refused to deal with them early on.
“They were very elusive. But we did not give up until they finally gave in to our request at around 2 p.m. today (Friday),” Armendarez said.
He said they would trace who the suppliers of Rosette and De Jesus were.
“We also would want to know if it was really them whom we talk to before the operation,” Armendarez said.
The CIDG-7 official believed there were still individuals who continued peddling shabu despite the government’s relentless campaign against illegal drugs.
“That has been their source of income. They will really find a way to continue their operations especially that Christmas is approaching,” Armendarez said.
Rosette and De Jesus are currently detained at the CIDG-7 stockade.
Based on the records of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), the police have confiscated a total of P99.1-million worth of shabu in the region from July 1 to December 1.
At least 4,306 drug suspects were arrested in various police operations while 91,856 drug dependents and peddlers had surrendered to authorities.
A total of 149 drug suspects were killed in police operations while 219 were gunned down by unknown assailants./# #
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