Police: P68M shabu came from Luzon-based Cebuano drug lord

Police recover the 10 kilos of suspected shabu from the three suspected drug peddlers, who were killed in the shootout in Barangay Taptap, Cebu City on June 10. | Contributed Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police are tracking down a suspected big-time Cebuano drug lord based in Luzon after the police have linked him to the 10 kilos of shabu seized during the bloody June 10 buy-bust operation in Barangay Taptap, Cebu City.

Police Major Alejandro Batobalonos, Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group in Central Visayas (PDEG-7) deputy officer, said that the 10 kilos of shabu worth P68 million that they recovered from the three dead drug suspects during the operation were believed to be among the 27 kilos that the suspected Cebuano drug lord allegedly shipped from Luzon to Cebu.

Batobalonos said that the three drug suspects were killed in Barangay Taptap after they engaged PDEG-7 policemen in a shootout during the police operation.

Those killed were identified Lihbon Kerr Bargayo, Christopher Lim also known as Christopher Aparice, and Boyet Rama.

Batobalonos said that the police drug operation in Cebu started when they verified an intelligence report they received last month about an alleged 27-kilo drug shipment from Luzon to Cebu.

Their investigation led to the bloody buy-bust operation on June 10 in a mountain barangay in Cebu City.

Batobalonos also said that they already knew the name of the suspected Cebuano drug lord and were tracking him down.

He, however, refused to name the suspected drug lord because of the ongoing operation and investigation conducted against him.

“Ang iyang source coming from Luzon. Naay dako nga drug lord didto, but taga diri siya. Pure siya na taga province of Cebu nga mao na ang among gi monitor karon,” Batobalonos said.

(The source of the illegal drugs came from Luzon. From a big drug lord there, who is from Cebu. He was from Cebu Province and that is who we are tracking down and investigating now.)

Police intel report, start of operation

He said that after receiving the intelligence report, the PDEG-7 conducted an investigation and three names allegedly eventually surfaced — that of Bargayo, Lim and Rama.

Batobalonos said that the three alleged had been in and out of jail and where Bargayo allegedly found the link to the suspected Cebuano drug lord.

The PDEG-7 deputy officer also described Lim and Rama as Bargayo’s alleged cohorts with Rama being allegedly the two men’s hitman.

Batobalonos also said that they found out that Bargayo owned several properties despite him not having a job.

These included an apartment in Cordova town, three condominium units in Minglanilla town, and a house in Lapu-Lapu City.

From Talisay to Cebu City

Batobalonos claimed that the three slain drug suspects were allegedly willing to kill since during the buy-bust operation in Camp 4, Talisay City that day.

He said that this was because they shot using an armalite rifle the undercover policeman, who acted as the buyer then, as he transacted with Bargayo and two other suspects, who were in a car.

Batobalonos said fortunately, the policeman was not hurt because he was wearing a bulletproof vest.

The suspects then fled on their car from Talisay City and was flagged down by pursuing policemen in Barangay Taptap, a mountain barangay in Cebu City.

However, the suspects did not stop and instead fired at the policemen again. 

The policemen fired back, killing the three suspects.

Police Brigadier General Ronnie Montejo, Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) chief, commended PDEG-7 policemen for their accomplishment against illegal drugs in the region.

Montejo also called on drug peddlers in the region to stop selling illegal drugs.

“Undang namog pamaligya o gamit anang drogas kay duha ra gyud padulngan ninyo, prisohan o sementeryo,” Montejo said.

(Stop selling or using illegal drugs because you only have two places to head to — prison or the cemetery.)

/dbs

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