Cops confiscate P7.6M drugs, nab 40 persons
There was no lenten rest for police in Metro Cebu especially in Talisay, Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu cities as they launched separate anti-illegal drug operations starting on Holy Wednesday and confiscated at least P7.6 million worth of illegal drugs and arrested 40 persons including two college students and a security guard.
The Cebu City police got the biggest drug haul of the illegal drugs with P7.3 million worth of suspected shabu confiscated in separate buy-bust operations in the past four days in Cebu City.
“Even if its Holy Week our police operations continue. We make pro-active (operations) on our campaigns especially on illegal drugs and illegal gambling,” said Senior Supt. Joel Doria, Cebu City Police Office director, in a phone interview on Saturday.
The latest of the drug operations in Cebu City on Black Saturday led to the arrest of Erwin Reyes of Sitio Looban, Villagonzalo 2, Barangay Tejero,
According to initial investigation of the Waterfront Police Station, Reyes was caught with 82 sachets of suspected shabu worth at least P107,000 in the drug operation in Barangay Tejero.
Police said the Reyes claimed that his being jobless forced him to a life of selling illegal drugs.
On Good Friday, police arrested Mario de Jesus, a security guard of a private company, who was caught with P4.7 million of illegal drugs and not the P11 million initial estimate given by the Cebu City Police Office.
Confiscated from De Jesus were 4 large packs and a medium-size pack of suspected shabu, P15,000 boodle money and P8,000 cash believed to be proceeds of his illegal drug trade.
Chief Insp. Henrix Bancoleta, San Nicholas Police precinct chief, said that there was no ‘magic’ made leading to the reduction of the reported amount of drugs confiscated from their buy-bust operation in Barangay San Nicolas on Friday.
Instead of the initial assessment of 1,000 grams or P11.8 million worth of suspected shabu, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) reported that the substance only weighed 400 grams equivalent to P4.7 million.
“Rest assured nga honest to goodness effort to nga wala gyoy nahitabo [no manipulation was made resulting to the reduce in the reported amount],” said Bancoleta.
He said that their initial estimate of P11.8 million was based on their visual assessment of the confiscated drugs.
“It looked big but when we weighed it sa PDEA kay gaan ra diay (it only weighed less),” said Bancoleta.
On Holy Wednesday, police arrested a 26-year-old college student and whom they described as a high-value drug target in Barangay Inayawan,
Orpheus Edorne Pangilinan was caught with suspected shabu worth at least P2.5 million in a buy-bust operation in Sitio Romblon, Barangay Inayawan, said Doria in a phone interview.
On the same day in Barangay Duljo, police also arrested four persons and confiscated several sachets of suspected shabu.
Doria said that one of those arrested during the Duljo buy-bust operations was a relative of slain drug lord Jeffrey “Jaguar” Diaz.
Lapu-Lapu City Police got the next big drug haul in the Holy Week operations and arrested 9 persons including a college student and a former engineering student.
On Holy Wednesday, a former engineering student and his cohort were arrested with 28 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated worth of P330,400.
Aaron dela Cerna, 24, a former engineering student, and Jessie Gomez, 37, were caught in a buy-bust operation in Block 4 Seaweeds, Barangay Pusok.
In a separate operation on the same day, Mactan police arrested Braiel Absin, 22, during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Mactan.
Absin was caught with marijuana leaves with an estimated worth of P100,000, said Chief Insp. Wayne Magbanua of the Mactan Police Precinct.
In Mandaue City, Senior Supt. Roberto Alanas, Mandaue City Police Office chief, said that they also conducted several anti-illegal drug operations in the past three days and arrested 10 persons who were caught with several sachets of suspected shabu.
In Talisay City, Senior Insp. Ivar Florece, Talisay City Police Office deputy chief, said that they also conducted several separate anti-drug operations in the past three days and arrested 6 persons, who were caught with sachets of suspected shabu.
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