P2M shabu seized, 5 nabbed in 3 hours

THE drug raids continue as Cebu City police officers confiscated at least P2 million worth of suspected shabu in two separate drug operations in three hours and arrested five drug suspects on Thursday and Friday.

First to fall were half siblings, Patrick Talon Casicas, 29, and his half-sister Benny Jane Talon, 37.

The half-siblings were caught with 110 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated Dangerous Drugs Board value of P1.3 million during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Kamputhaw at past 10:30 p.m.

The target of the operation, however, was Patrick Casicas. Benny Jane Talon was inside the house when the raid was conducted and was also arrested.

Senior Supt. Royina Garma,the director of Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said that Casicas was a newly identified drug personality in the city.

She also said that the shabu that were confiscated from the siblings were still compacted and stone-like and not a refined one.

Casicas, in a separate interview, said that he did not own the illegal drugs but it was given to him by friend for safekeeping.

He described himself as only a “bodegero” or the keeper of the suspected shabu and would allegedly be paid P5,000 for keeping the drugs from a friend, whom he refused to identify.

Three hours later, at past midnight on Friday, police arrested three known drug personalities in Barangay Mambaling.

Garma said that known drug personalities, Marivic Deguitos; Aljay Lahaylahay; and Rosemarie Batongbacal were allegedly caught using suspected shabu during the buy-bust operation.

The three suspects were also caught with 60 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated DDB value of P700,000.