Minglanilla bust yields P1.8M worth of suspected illegal drugs

These are the items confiscated from three suspects during a buy-bust operation in Minglanilla, Cebu on July 21, 2020. | Photo from PRO-7

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Three men caught with P1.8-million worth of suspected shabu in a buy-bust operation are now facing charges for violating Republic Act 9165, or the comprehensive dangerous drugs act.

Ejing Dignos Garciano, 26; Dax Mondares Vinloan, 39; and Gregory G. Michael, 53, landed in jail after they were caught by the personnel of Regional Drug Enforcement Unit in Central Visayas (RDEU-7) during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Pakigne, Minglanilla town, southern Cebu at on Tuesday dawn, July 21, 2020.

Garciano was a resident of Barangay Basak, Lapu-Lapu City, Vinloan was from Liloan, while Michael was a resident of Barangay Apas here.

Confiscated from the three were packs of suspected shabu weighing 270 grams with an estimated value of P1,836,000. Also in their possession was one submachine gun with live ammunition.

Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro, director of Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), said that they are currently investigating which drug group the three suspects belong to.

“We will be investigating this, the possible source of drugs,” said Ferro.

Ferro said they found out that transactions of illegal groups lately were still through communications inside the city jails.

He said the pandemic has affected operations against illegal drugs as police are not able to conduct greyhound operations in jails, which is one of the ways to gather information about groups of illegal drug traders.

For the meantime, Ferro said they will have to gather more information about the background of the arrested suspects, hoping there will be a lead to their suppliers. /bmjo