Talisay police nab woman, e-bike driver; seize P884,000 drugs in buy-busts

Public’s help led to successful police drug operations — Talisay cop chief

A 26-year-old woman was arrested with around 50 grams of ‘shabu’ worth P340,000 on Saturday night, May 14, 2022. | Talisay PS

CEBU CITY, Philippines —Police attributed the public’s help as among the factors that led to the arrest of a woman and a passenger e-bike driver and the confiscation of P884,000 worth of suspected shabu in separate operations in Talisay City in 2 hours on late Saturday, May 14 and early Sunday, May 15.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Randy Caballes, Talisay City Police Station chief, said that they arrested Kharyl Cabando, a 26-year-old woman, in Barangay Tangke and Jhunjie Cabuenas, a 26-year-old e-bike driver, in the Barangay Cansojong operation.

First to fall was Cabando, who was arrested outside her home during a buy-bust operation at past 10 p.m. on Saturday, May 14, in Sitio Salvador, Barangay Tangke, Talisay City.

Police confiscated at least 50 grams of suspected shabu worth around P340,000 from the female suspect.

Caballes said that they found out that Cabando allegedly started selling illegal drugs in October 2021.

He said that she could allegedly dispose 50 grams of shabu in a week.

The Talisay Police chief also said that they were also verifying reports that Cabando was communicating with a jail inmate inside the Cebu City Jail for her illegal drugs supply.

Caballes also said that the operation against Cabando was implemented after they received several reports from the public about her alleged illegal drug activities.

He also said that illegal drug activities in Barangay Tangke, which was rampant in the area before, had slowed down due to the community’s cooperation and the forming of the 300-strong community defenders there.

“Ang kini compared before hinay gyud ni sa Tangke. Although naa lang gyuy makalusot. Thankful lang ta sa mga informants kay dali ra sad nato mapakgang ang ilang distribution,” he said.

(This [illegal drugs situation] as compared to before has slowed down in Tangke. Although there are still few that has managed to continue their illegal activities. We are thankful to the informants because we quickly stopped their illegal distribution.)

Caballes said that Cabando, however, had no previous records in the illegal drug trade and they continued to investigate if she had cohorts in her illegal activity.

Cansojong buy-bust

About two hours later or at past midnight of Sunday, May 15, the Talisay City policemen arrested passenger e-bike driver Cabuenas during a buy-bust operation in S. Abarquez St. in Barangay Cansojong.

Police confiscated 50 grams of suspected shabu from the suspect, which had a market value of P544,000.

Caballes said that they were investigating if Cabuenas used his being a passenger e-bike driver as a front for his illegal drug business.

He also said that they conducted the operation against Cabuenas after receiving reports from the public about his illegal activities.

Caballes said that this was the second time that Cabuenas was arrested for possession and selling of illegal drugs in August 2019 and he served time for it.

He said that Cabuenas was released from prison last November 2020.

Caballes said that after Cabuenas was released from jail he allegedly went back to his illegal drug activities.

He also said that Cabuenas could allegedly dispose of at least 100 grams of shabu in a week.

Aside from that, Caballes said that like Cabando of Barangay Tangke, Cabuenas also got his contacts for the supply of illegal drugs from a jail inmate at the Cebu City Jail.

The Talisay City Police chief said that they were investigating if the Cabuenas and Cabando’s contact at the Cebu City Jail was only one person.

As for the illegal drug situation in Barangay Cansojong, Caballes said that this was also not rampant because of the help of the community or the public.

Dili gyud kaayo ingun ana kadaghan [in Cansojong] kay kung naay mga pangalan nga maggawas, makuha ra pod dayun,” Caballes said.

(The [illegal drug activity] is not that rampant [in Barangay Cansojong] because if there are new names that will do their illegal business there, they will be reported and arrested by the police.)

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