Food delivery service driver caught with P6.8M shabu

Eranes Baltazar Jr. is caught with a kilo of suspected shabu during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Sambag, Cebu City on August 14, 2020. | Photo courtesy of PDEA-7

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A food delivery service driver was arrested with P6.8 worth of suspected shabu in buy-bust operation in Barangay Sambag 1, Cebu City this afternoon, August 14, 2020.

The suspect identified as Eranes Baltazar Jr., 40, of Barangay Ermita, Cebu City, was arrested by agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) .

PDEA-7 Director Levi Ortiz, said that Baltazar had been monitored for about two weeks but was already reported before the month of August for his illegal activities.

“Dugay na mi siya pero lately lang nibalik ang information. Katong panahona tungod sa pandemic — tawag ani nila walay bugas — so na stop atong operation. Pero lately lang mga two weeks ago nagsugod na pod balik until such time karon na consumate gyud atong negotiation sa iyaha,” said Ortiz.

(We have heard of reports of him before but lately the information about his illegal activities. At that time it was because of the pandemic — they call it because of having no rice — so we stopped our operation. But lately about two weeks ago, we received information that they are back in operation and so we finally completed our negotiation with him.)

A kilo of suspected shabu was confiscated from a food delivery service driver during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Sambag, Cebu City on August 14, 2020.| Photo courtesy of PDEA-7

One large pack of suspected shabu placed in a transparent plastic was confiscated from Baltazar which was said to weigh one kilo or P6,800,000 of value.

“Wala ko kabalo unsay sulod sa kargamento… Ga tinarong ko,” said Baltazar.

(I don’t know what was inside the package…I did not do anything wrong.)

He also admitted that he had never been arrested since his last arrest in 2002 for robbery where he later got out of jail in 2007.

Baltazar will be detained in PDEA-7 detention facility while a case for violating section 5 and 11 or the selling and possesion of illegal drugs of the Republic Act 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act, will be filed against him.

With this incident, Ortiz said they would be coordinating closely with the police especially since that delivery service companies were prone to be used as decoys for drug personalities during this time.

He said they would also discuss with the delivery service companies on how they would be able to come up with monitoring possible persons involved in the illegal drugs business./dbs