Five drug suspects were arrested during the anti-illegal drug operation of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) at past 2 p.m. today, July 5. | Photo from PDEA-7
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Anti-narcotics agents raided a shanty, whom they considered a suspected drug den, in Barangay Duljo Fatima in Cebu City at past 2 p.m. today, July 5, shut it down and arrested a couple, a jeepney driver and two others.
Leia Albiar, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) spokesperson, said that the couple – Morena Mancao, 31, and her husband, Ricardo Mancao, 51, – allegedly were the suspected drug den caretakers or maintainers.
The others caught inside the suspected drug den allegedly run by the Mancao couple were identified as Dante Labajo, a 41-year-old PUJ driver, and MJ Sombilon, 18; and Jolito Racal, 41, who are both residents of Duljo-Fatima.
Albiar said that it took a team of PDEA-7 agents a month to build up the case against the Mancaos.
She said that the PDEA-7 agents’ background check on the couple showed that they could dispose 10 grams of suspected shabu a week in their suspected drug den.
During the raid today, the PDEA-7 agents confiscated 12 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated Dangerous Drugs Board value of P170,000.
She said the operation today was the second against a suspected drug den with PDEA-7 as the lead unit.
The first one was the Barangay Carreta raid on Saturday, July 3, at past 7 p.m., where five persons were arrested.
Three hours after that operation that day, PDEA-7 agents coordinated with the Liloan Police Station and raided another drug den where six persons were arrested. The lead unit for this operation was the Liloan Police Station.
In today’s operation, Albiar said that Morena and Ricardo Mancao would be charged with selling illegal drugs and maintaining a drug den, which are violations in the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Labajo, Sombilon and Racal would be facing charges of visiting a drug den, possession of illegal drugs, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Albiar said that the five suspects were detained at the PDEA-7 detention facility.
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