Checkpoints, intel monitoring lead to 29 Cebu City-based ‘drug dealers’ arrests in Mandaue 

Jose Niño Comodas, 25, of Barangay Tinago, Cebu City, is arrested after he was caught with an unlicensed firearm and a gram of suspected shabu by police at a checkpoint in Barangay Maguikay, Mandaue City past 5 a.m. of Jan. 3, 2020. | CDN Digital file photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The arrest of 29 drug personalities from Cebu City this month in Mandaue City is proof of the effective intensified campaign against illegal drugs of the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO).

Police Colonel Jonathan Abella, Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) chief, said this about the arrest of the 29 drug suspects from Cebu City, who were among the 150 drug personalities arrested this month in Mandaue City.

Abella attributed these arrests to the checkpoints and constant intelligence monitoring of the Mandaue police as most of those arrested were caught in checkpoints and follow up operations.

“Effective gyud atong checkpoints kay nakuha man nato ning mga personalities nga gapalit sa Cebu City unya ga distribute diri,” said Abella.

(Our checkpoints are effective because we arrested those drug personalities who bought illegal drugs in Cebu City and who planned to distribute it here in Mandaue City.)

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He said arresting 29 drug personalities from Cebu City this month did not mean that Mandaue City had been made a dumping ground for illegal drugs in Cebu City.

He said according to their intelligence monitoring though that some of those drug personalities arrested were planning to distribute their illegal goods in some parts of Mandaue City because the Cebu City police were also intensifying their war on drugs in their areas.

 He said they did not know that the Mandaue police were also intensifying their campaign against illegal drugs and they were caught in those random checkpoints.

He also said that their intelligence monitoring and gathering had also helped in apprehending the drug personalities.

He said their successful follow up operations came from information from previously arrested drug suspects.

However, Police Major Randy Caballes, Cebu City Police Office City Intelligence Branch chief, said that drug personalities in Cebu City might have developed a network in the areas of Mandaue and even Lapu-Lapu City, which could be the reason there were many drug personalities caught in Mandaue City.

“Cebu City based drug personalities can always expand to other areas same as drug personalities from Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue City, so long as may network sila,” said Caballes.