Woman yields P34M ‘shabu’ in Lapu drug bust

Big-time drug dealer Rosell Arda, 42, covers her. face after police confiscated at least five kilos of suspected ‘shabu’ from her with a street value of P34 million during a buy-bust operation on Friday afternoon, Oct. 15 in Lapu-Lapu City.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Around P34 million worth of ‘shabu’ weighing at least five kilos were confiscated from a woman during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Ibo, Lapu-Lapu City, on Friday afternoon, Oct. 14.

Police Brigadier General Roderick Augustus Alba, regional director of the Police Regional Office (PRO-7), identified the suspect as Rosell Arda, 42, a resident of Barangay Poblacion Occidental in Consolacion town.

Police confiscated five kilos of suspected shabu worth P34 million from her.

The operation stemmed from the previous 15-kilo drug haul also in Lapu-Lapu City last July 2022, wherein the arrested suspect was an alleged cohort of Arda.

The two reportedly rented rooms in the city and nearby areas as their means of delivering the illegal items.

Following this operation, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan, called on all barangay officials to monitor all the renters in their jurisdiction and make sure that they are all registered for easier tracking.

Chan said that they already have an ordinance for this. He announced that the Lapu-Lapu City police will receive a monetary reward for this successful operation.

Arda, in an interview with reporters, said that she was just called by someone she doesn’t know, who allegedly told her to pick up a bag that contained the drugs. She also claimed that she had no idea what the bag contained.

During the transaction, the police were able to close a deal with her for a kilo of ‘shabu’. But when they checked the bag, they discovered four more kilos of the illegal substance inside.

Police said it took them a month before Arda agreed to transact.

It was also learned that Arda was jailed for more than 10 years from 2008 to 2019 also due to her involvement in illegal drugs.

The newly installed city director of Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, Police Colonel Elmer Lim, also said that they will continue with their relentless operation against illegal drugs.   /rcg

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