Cebu City police confiscate P7.4M worth of shabu believed to have come from China

Shabu worth P7.4 million which police confiscated from drug peddler Vera Rama, 33, during a buy-bust operation Monday night, February 3, 2020, is believed to have come from China. | Contributed Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Policemen in Cebu City suspect that shabu from China has already found its way into the city.

Police Colonel Engelbert Soriano, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) chief, said that the P7.4 million worth of shabu which they confiscated from drug peddler Vera Rama, 33, during buy-bust operation Monday night, February 3, 2020, was kept hidden inside a Chinese tea bag, which led them to suspect that the supply came from China.

Soriano said that its packaging was similar to the P2.5 billion worth of shabu that was confiscated in Makati City in November 2019.

“Most probably kasama ito sa mga na intercept (during the Makati City buy-bust operation),” Soriano said in an interview on Tuesday.

The P7.4 million worth of shabu was part of the P9.5 million worth of illegal drugs which Cebu City policemen confiscated during separate buy-bust operations on Monday.

Labangon police arrested Rama, who is from A. Lopez Street in Barangay Calamba, Cebu City, at around 9:50 p.m. and recovered 1.1 kilos of shabu worth P7.4 million.

Soriano said that the shabu which they confiscated from Rama’s possession was packed in a tea bag which Chinese characters written on it.

However, he said that they are yet to find additional evidence to prove their suspicion that the shabu was a part of a shipment from China.

They are also doing follow up operations to identify its shipper and local distributor.

Pardo police conducts an inventory on packs of shabu confiscated from the possession of drug suspect Jhanron Ministerio. | Contributed Photo

At around 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Pardo police also arrested Jhanron Ministerio, 32, in a buy-bust operation in Sitio Cabancalan 1 in Barangay Bulacao and confiscated P2.1 million worth of shabu.

Ministerio is from Sitio Nivel Hills in Barangay Busay.

Police Captain Jonathan Dela Cerna, chief of Labangon Police Station, said that Rama failed to identify her drug supplier. She told the police that she would collect her supply of shabu every week and from different persons.

Dela Cerna said they also gathered information that other members of the her family also peddles illegal drugs.

Police Major John Kareen Escober, chief of the Pardo police station, said they are also pursuing Ministerio’s drug supplier who is said to come from Mandaue City.

Escober said that Ministerio, whom they placed under surveillance for two weeks, could dispose at least 300 grams of shabu to buyers in Barangay Bulacao. / dcb