Sudlon 1 HVT nabbed with close to P28 million worth of ‘shabu’

Roldan “Shakira” Rosales, 26, a resident of Barangay Sudlon 1 in Cebu City, was arrested in a buy-bust operation with at least 4.1 kilos of suspected ‘shabu’ with a market value of P27,880,000. | Photo by Pegeen Maisie Sararana

CEBU CITY, Philippines —Almost P28 million worth of suspected ‘shabu’ was seized from a high-value target who was arrested in a buy-bust operation along the Trans Central Highway in Barangay Babag II in Cebu City past 10:00 a.m. today, July 7.

Police identified the suspect as Roldan “Shakira” Rosales, 26, a resident of Barangay Sudlon 1 in Cebu City, who was in possession of 4.1 kilos of suspected ‘shabu’ with a market value of P27, 880,000, authorities said.

The operation was done by the Intelligence Unit of LCPO led by Police Lieutenant Noah Anaña under the supervision of Police Major Joey Bicoy, LCPO-CIU chief.

Police Colonel Arnel Banzon, chief of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LCPO), said that the operation was conducted after the name of Rosales surfaced from drug personalities they have arrested last month.

Banzon is referring to their seizure of at least two kilos of suspected ‘shabu’ amounting to P13 million on Barangay Mactan in Lapu-Lapu City last May 21. He added that the arrested suspect told investigators that Rosales was his source of illegal drugs.

Banzon added that Rosales is allegedly capable of disposing of more than a kilo of ‘shabu’ per week in the whole Metro Cebu. It took them one month of surveillance and monitoring before they were able to close a transaction with the suspect.

Banzon further said that the suspect’s contacts for distribution were traced in Abuyog in Leyte province.

As of now, he said they are still conducting a further investigation as to the suspect’s possible source of illegal drugs.

Banzon added that they expect the supply of illegal drugs in Metro Cebu to be affected by the arrest of the suspect. He added that they also recorded a drop in illegal drug activities in Lapu-Lapu City.

“Ubos na gyud kaayo ang atoang pagpayuhot sa illegal nga drugas. But then again, di gihapon ta muundang kay ug luagan nato ni, musulod nasad ni sila,” Banzon said.

(We have reports that there is a lesser supply of illegal drugs now. But then again, we will not stop because if we drop our guards, illegal drugs will again proliferate.)

PDEA-7: Despite barangay Sudlon resident’s arrest, its drugs-cleared status remains

Barangay Sudlon 1 was among the two barangays in Cebu City that were declared drug cleared by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency last May. Leia Albiar, PDEA-7 spokesperson, said the barangay’s status will remain.

Drug-cleared barangays are those previously affected by drugs that underwent deliberation and evaluation.

“Ang Sudlon 1 maintain gihapon iyang drug-cleared status kay kadtong si alyas ‘Shakira’ nasulod sya sa watchlist, considered man to siya as newly identified… Basta drug-cleared na ang barangay, dili na buot pasabot nga byaan nana sila sa law enforcers, continuous gihapon ang monitoring, mas strikto ta sa monitoring,” she said .

(Sudlon 1 will keep its drug-cleared status because ‘Shakira’ was considered as newly identified. If a barangay is drug-cleared, that does not mean that there will be no more police visibility and monitoring. We still conduct continuous monitoring, stricter monitoring.)

She further said that to maintain the status of the barangay, monitoring and drug operations must continue.   /rcg

READ: ‘Drug courier’ caught with P13M shabu in Lapu-Lapu buy-bust

READ: Can a drug-cleared barangay status be reverted?