Police arrest high-value target in Mambaling buy-bust

A 21-year-old high-value target was arrested in Sitio Viking, Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City on Tuesday, October 1, 2019. | Contributed Photo

CEBU CITY, Philipppines — The City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) of Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) personnel arrested a high-value target (HVT) in a buy-bust operation Monday afternoon, October 1, 2019.

The operation, done at around 2 p.m., led to the arrest of 21-year-old Edison Maloloyu Balili, a resident to Sitio Viking, Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City.

According to Police Lieutenant Mariel Ann Piedad, head of CDEU, the suspect had been under surveillance for about three weeks.

She said a police poseur buyer was able to buy a small sachet of suspected shabu outside the house of Balili before other policemen arrived and surrounded the area.

At least 110 grams of suspected shabu with a dangerous drugs board (DDB) value of P784,000 was confiscated from Balili.

Piedad divulged to CDN Digital in a phone interview that they were already able to buy from Balili twice before the buy-bust operation.

She said that Balili has been in the high-value target list of the City as he could dispose of at least 100-200 grams every week.

Piedad further revealed that Balili personally met his customer when he delivered his drugs and uses his own cellular phone for transactions.

Aside from being on the watchlist, Balili’s name also emerged from interviews of those previously arrested by the CDEU, said Piedad.

Despite the bigger amount of illegal drugs Balili possessed, Piedad said that they are still working to determine if he is part of any big-time drug group here in the city.

A case for violating Republic Act 9165 section 5 and 11, or the possession and selling of illegal drugs, will be filed against Balili, who is now detained in CCPO detention facility. /bmjo