P1.4M shabu in ‘Xmas gift’ found; drug suspect nabbed

Two packs of suspected shabu (top), which were placed inside a Christmas wrapper (above), were found in a Mandaue City street (CDN PHOTO/Norman V. Mendoza )

Two road incidents in Mandaue City over the weekend led to the discovery of suspected shabu worth P1.4 million inside a pack wrapped in Christmas wrapper, which was believed to have fallen from a passing vehicle in the middle of the road, and the arrest of a suspected drug pusher who figured in a traffic accident.

Glen Antigua, chief of operations of the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (TEAM), accompanied traffic enforcers Jorge Opo and Jeffrey Layon to the Mandaue City Police Office last Saturday to turn over the P1.4 million worth of suspected shabu which was found inside a pack wrapped in Christmas wrapper and believed to have been a Christmas gift of a passing motorist.

The enforcers said that they were manning traffic at the corner of A. Soriano and S.B. Cabahug Streets in Barangay Centro, Mandaue City when they noticed a “Christmas gift” lying in the middle of the street.

When they picked up the gift and opened it, the enforcers claimed that they found two plastic packs weighing at least P150 grams of suspected shabu, which police claimed to be worth P1.4 million.

After reviewing the CCTV cameras in the area, Senior Supt. Roberto Alanas, acting Mandaue City Police Office chief, said the “Christmas gift” must have fallen from two men on a motorcycle.

However, Alanas said the men could not be identified because they were wearing helmets and the motorcycle’s license plates could not be discerned.

On Sunday morning, a traffic accident involving three vehicles at MC Briones Ave., Barangay Basak, Mandaue City led to the arrest of a suspected high level drug pusher, who was also a drug surrenderer.

Pablito Loberanes, 30, of Barangay Basak was arrested after PO2 Froilan Gomez of Mandaue City’s Traffic Division responded to the accident and saw a .38 revolver on the floor of the front passenger’s side of Loberanes’ vehicle. Gomez also later found 14 sachets of suspected shabu at the passenger’s seat.

Gomez said that he found the gun on the floor when he accompanied Loberanes to get his driver’s license inside his car.

The suspect’s two companions fled after Loberanes was arrested.

During a press briefing yesterday, Alanas described Loberanes as a level 1 drug pusher or one who could sell 100 grams of shabu a week.

Alanas also said that Loberanes surrendered last May after President Duterte won the elections.