P500K shabu seized; 23 persons nabbed in separate raids in Cebu, Talisay cities

Ariel Palapar is arrested after he was caught with P209,000 worth of suspected shabu during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Duljo Fatima, Cebu City on May 17. | Benjie Talisic

CEBU CITY, Philippines — At least half a million peso worth of suspected shabu were confiscated and 23 persons were arrested in four separate operations by the Cebu City Police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas on Friday, May 17.

Three drug operations in Cebu yielded P634,000 worth of suspected shabu.

The Labangon Police made the biggest drug haul for the day after they confiscated P249,000 worth of suspected shabu and arrested three persons during a buy-bust operation in Tres de Abril, Barangay Labangon, Cebu City.

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Lita Casas, 48, the target of the operation, Jhon Michael Suico, 33, and Jason Arthur Davis, 31, were arrested during the operation, said Police Major Keith Allen Andaya, Labangon Police Precinct chief, in an interview with CDN Digital.

Casas was caught allegedly selling illegal drugs while Suico and Davis were also caught allegedly buying shabu from Casas.

The suspects were detained at the Labangon Police Precinct detention cell pending the filing of charges.

Lita Casas is caught with suspected shabu during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Labangon, Cebu City on May 17. | Benjie Talisic

At about the same time, the PDEA-7 agents raided a suspected drug den in Barangay Duljo-Fatima and arrested 13 persons including the suspected operator of the alleged drug den, Rowena Barboza.

Leia Albiar, PDEA-7 spokesperson, said that they caught some of the 13 suspects allegedly sniffing shabu inside the suspected drug den while others were allegedly waiting for their turn to use the illegal drugs.

Albiar said that they also confiscated an estimated P88,000 worth of shabu from the suspects.

The 13 suspects were detained at the PDEA-7 headquarters at Barangay Sudlon, Cebu City, pending the filing of charges.

At past 9 p.m. that day, also in Barangay Duljo Fatima, Cebu City, Mambaling Police conducted a buy-bust operation and confiscated illegal drugs with an estimated Dangerous Drugs Board value of P209,000.

Ariel Palapar, 23, residing in the barangay, was arrested after he was caught with the suspected shabu, said Police Captain Francis Renz Talosig, Mambaling Police Precinct chief.

Palapar was detained at the Mambaling Police Precinct pending the filing of charges.

In the afternoon of May 17, PDEA-7 agents also raided another suspected drug den this time in Talisay City.

PDEA-7 Spokesperson Albiar said that they arrested five persons in this operation and confiscated another estimated P88,000 worth of suspected shabu.

Albiar said that they arrested the suspected drug den operator, William Bacatio.

Four other suspects were also caught allegedly sniffing shabu inside the suspected drug den.

The five suspects in the Talisay drug raid was detained at the PDEA-7 headquarters in Barangay Sudlon, Cebu City, pending the filing of charges./dbs