P7M worth of ‘shabu’ seized from three suspects in Cebu City 

Three individuals are arrested on Tuesday afternoon, September 21, 2022, after being caught with at least P7 million worth of suspected shabu in their rented house in a subdivision in Barangay Bacayan, Cebu City. | contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — At least P7 million worth of suspected shabu was confiscated from three suspects in their rented house in a subdivision in Barangay Bacayan, here, on Tuesday afternoon, September 20, 2022. 

Police Major Alvin Llamedo, chief of Talamban Police Station, identified the suspects as Rulan Merkado, 29, a native of Davao City;  Ryan Zanoria, 38, from Cebu City; and Reynaldo Ardina, 36, also from Cebu City. 

The three are renting the house were they were arrested. 

Llamedo said that the owner of the house had no idea that the three men were engaged in illegal drug activities. 

Neighbors also said that the suspects arrived in their area a month ago. 

According to Llamedo, it took them at least two months of monitoring before these suspects agreed to meet and transact with them. He said that this was so far the fourth time that they tried transacting with them as they transfer  from one place to another and are careful in engaging transactions with their clients. 

Llamedo said that the suspects’ names surfaced from their previous illegal drug operations. 

Llamedo said the three suspects have a contact identified as Eugene, who was already arrested in Abuyog, Leyte.  Zamora was allegedly the one who was in contact with Eugene. 

“Naa ni silay contact sa prisohan sa Abuyog, a certain Eugene. Mokontak [Eugene] nila and pa standbyon ra sila sa usa ka area og diha ihatud [item]. Dili nila makita or ma identify kay naka full-faced helmet ang modeliver,” Llamedo said. 

(They have a contact who is in prison in Abuyog, a certain Eugene. He will just contact the suspects and tell them to stay in an area where the items will be delivered. They cannot identify who delivers the items since he always wears a full-faced helmet.)

Police continue to investigate the three in the hopes of determining the sources of these their illegal drugs. 

The suspects are currently detained at the Talamban Police Station pending the filing of charges against them. 

/bmjo

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