Inmate with Bilibid drug ties yield Nubain

SOME pills, Nubain capsules, drug paraphernalia, traces of shabu, one cell phone and one power bank were found in the cell of an inmate with alleged connections to drug dealing inmates at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.

Senior Supt. Joel Doria, Cebu City police chief, said these items were recovered in a raid conducted at the cell of inmate Archie Abellana at the Cebu City Jail yesterday morning.

“Tukoy namin ang target ng operation na ito, dahil araw ngayon ng dalaw at di natin pwede ma-search lahat dahil matatagalan tayo (We had a specific target on this operation. That’s why we didn’t search for everybody since there was a scheduled visitation of inmates and it would take us long to finish it),” Doria said.

Doria said an investigation conducted the night before on one of the inmates who used drugs yielded Abellana’s name.

Supt. Arnel Peralta, Cebu City Jail warden, said they coordinated with the police for yesterday’s raid.

Abellana denied having drug contacts at the New Bilibid Prison but admitted that he had an uncle detained there. “Limpyo akong konsensiya (I have a clean conscience),” Abellana said.

He said the pills found in his cell were medicines for his asthma.

Doria said they can still verify if Abellana dealt in drugs through his call and text message logs recorded on his cell phone.

Doria said they are still verifying reports that Abellana is part of a drug syndicate whose members included those arrested at a hotel for engaging in a pot session and selling drugs online last Tuesday.