Lapu-Lapu police arrest two men, who were caught with 15 kilos of suspected shabu during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Poblacion, Lapu-Lapu City today, June 25, 2022. | Pegeen Maisie Sararaña
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A former dance instructor and his cohort were caught with 15 kilos of suspected shabu during a buy-bust operation on Saturday, June 25, 2022 in Barangay Poblacion in Lapu-Lapu City.
Police Colonel Arnel Banzon, chief of Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, said the 15 kilos of suspected shabu had a market value of P102 million.
Banzon also identified the two drug suspects arrested during the buy-bust operation as Eric Felisilda, 46, a former dance instructor, and his alleged cohort, Niel Vallesquiña, 27.
The two men earlier claimed that they were residents of Metro Manila.
However, a police report showed that Felisilda was a resident of Tagbilaran City in Bohol province while Vallesquiña was a resident of Surigao del Sur but was living in Dasmariñas City in Cavite province.
Felisilda, in an interview with the media, also claimed he was arrested in 2006 for possession of illegal drugs in Tagbilaran City, Bohol.
Banzon said that initial investigation showed that an undercover policeman bought a kilo of shabu from the two men with P1 million marked money.
When the transaction was consummated, the police then moved in and arrested the two men. After the suspects were frisked and their two bags inspected, 14 more kilos of suspected shabu were found inside the bags.
Banzon said that the buy-bust operation against the two men was conducted after they gathered information about the suspects’ illegal drug activities through the previous weeks’ police operations.
One operations was the major drug haul in Barangay Pajo, Lapu-Lapu City on June 14, 2022, where P27.2 million worth of suspected shabu were confiscated. Police also arrested a woman, who was identified as Eleonor Quistadio, 43, a resident of Surigao del Sur.
Banzon said that the two men – Felisilda and Vallesquiña – were allegedly the source of illegal drugs of Quistadio.
READ: Woman nabbed with P27M worth of ‘shabu’ in Lapu-Lapu
The police chief said that the two suspects would allegedly transport the illegal drugs via land or through a land trip all the way from Luzon to areas in the entire Visayas region.
“Naa ni sila kaugalingong sakyanan unya ila ni iland trip dayun sakay sa Roro,” he said.
(They have their own vehicle and they would do a land trip and ride the roro.)
Banzon said that they were also investigating the possible source of the illegal drugs of the suspects and checking if the drugs came from a big drug syndicate operating in the country.
For his part, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan, said that the operatives would receive incentives for this successful operation.
“We had a resolution giving incentives for the police, the PDEA for a reward para sa maong nasikop. This is a reward every time nga naay makuha nga dinagko,” Chan said.
(We had a resolution giving incentives for the police, PDEA [Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency] for a reward for those whom they arrested. This is a reward every time that they could make a big drug haul.)
Today’s police operation was led by Police Major Joey Bicoy, chief of City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) of Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, and Police Lieutenant Colonel Jul Mohammad Jamiri, chief of city’s City Intelligence Unit (CIU), and they were assisted by Police Lieutenant Noah Añana, deputy officer of city’s CIU and CDEU. Aside from that the Lapu-Lapu City police also coordinated with the Philippine Coast Guard Intelligence Visayas in this operation.
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