PDEA: Cebuano caught with P1.4M party drugs in QC is ‘big-time’ dealer

An agent of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Special Enforcement Service (PDEA SES), documenting the amount of ecstasy drugs seized from the party drug dealer target in a convenience store in Eastwood, Barangay Bagumbayan, Quezon City, on Aug 9, 2019. | Photo courtesy of PDEA SES

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The man who was arrested with P1.4 million worth of suspected party drugs in Quezon City last August 15 was confirmed to be a Cebuano.

Arnold Immanuel Dy, 21, of Mandaue City, Cebu, was also allegedly a big-time supplier of party drugs and allegedly a member of a newly identified drug group made up of mostly of Cebuanos, said Agent Wenifredo Alagabia Jr., team leader of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Special Enforcement Service (PDEA SES), in a phone interview with CDN Digital.

Alagabia, however did not reveal details about this group because they were still conducting follow-up operations.

Dy was arrested after he was caught with 465 suspected ecstasy tablets, prohibited party drugs, during a buy-bust operation conducted by a team of PDEA SES agents in a convenience store in Eastwood, Barangay Bagumbayan, Quezon City last Thursday morning (August 15).

Alagabia said that the suspected ecstasy tablets confiscated from Dy had an estimated Dangerous Drugs Board value of P1.4 million.

This means that each ecstasy tablet was worth at least P3,000.

The PDEA SES team leader claimed that they had been monitoring Dy’s movements for three months before they conducted the buy-bust operation and arrested him.

Alagabia said that Dy was allegedly a big-time party drug pusher because he could allegedly dispose of at least 500 to 1,000 ecstasy tablets a week around Quezon City.

The operation against Dy was also conducted after they arrested three of Dy’s alleged party drug distributors in a bar in Taguig City at 4 a.m. that day, August 15.

Dy was arrested at past 9 a.m. that day.

Alagabia said that they had information about Dy’s alleged activities but it took them a while to arrest him because of the way he operated.

“Ang style nya sa distribution, hindi sya mag entertain kung ang bibilhin ay hindi 100 pieces (His style is that he will only entertain those customers who will order 100 pieces),” said Alagabia.

He said for those, who would buy lesser than 100 tablets, he would pass them down to his alleged downlines or party drug distributors.

These were the three people that they arrested in a bar in Taguig City.

Meanwhile, Wardley M. Getalla, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas director, said that they would be willing to work with the other units such as PDEA National Capital Region (NCR) when they would ask for their assistance in their investigation.

In a text message to CDN Digital, Getalla said they would be also looking forward to an exchange of information especially when it would involve personalities within their jurisdiction.

“Since drug proliferation knows no boundaries, intel sharing and close coordination with other law enforcement units is essential, not just locally but also internationally,” Getalla said in his message on August 17.

Alagabia, for his part, said that they had filed charges against Dy for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the selling of illegal drugs last August 16 at the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office./dbs