THREE bars in Cebu City and two in Mandaue City are being monitored by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency- Central Visayas after their owners reported possible illegal drug trade in their establishments, PDEA-7 director Yogi Felimon Ruiz said on Thursday.
Ruiz said PDEA agents conducted surveillance in the clubs since October 2016 after the club owners asked the assistance of PDEA-7 to clear their businesses from illegal drug trades.
Ruiz clarified that the club owners were not connected to the drug peddlers doing business within the premises of the establishments.
“In fact, the club owners were alarmed (of the illegal trade inside their establishments so they asked for our help. They don’t want their businesses to suffer,” Ruiz said.
Ruiz showed photos and videos PDEA-7 has gathered from their months-long surveillance.
The agency director added they have detected trades of ecstasy and shabu in the clubs.
Ruiz said the agency has already identified the people reportedly involved in the illegal drug trade inside the bars, but PDEA is still planning out their arrests.
“We’ll just wait for the right time to arrest them because conducting operations inside the bar is complicated. The targets may use firearms and may harm other customers,” Ruiz said.