A 43-year-old woman is caught with 2 kilos of suspected shabu during a buy-bust operation today, Oct. 31, in Barangay Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City. | Contributed photo via Futch Anthony Inso
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — A woman, who had been listed one of the regional priority top 10 high-value individuals (HVI), was caught with an estimated P14 million worth of suspected shabu during a buy-bust operation in Sitio Kasanta, Barangay Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City, on Monday afternoon, Oct. 31, 2022.
The suspect was identified as Arceli Auron Cortez, 43, a native of Butuan City and temporarily residing at Soong Center in the said barangay.
The joint operation of the LCPO and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) resulted in the confiscation of two kilos of alleged shabu from Cortez which was worth P14,280,000.
Aside from this, authorities have also confiscated from Cortez a backpack, two paper bags, a cellular phone, and three 500 peso bills used as bodol money.
Police Colonel Elmer Lim, acting director of LCPO, said that they had been monitoring the suspect before they conducted the buy-bust operation.
He further said that the suspect also revealed that her source of the alleged illegal drugs came from a certain “Balo” who was previously arrested and detained in the Mandaue City Jail.
Lim said that Cortez had become one of the main suppliers of illegal drugs in Lapu-Lapu City and the neighboring cities and municipalities in Cebu.
The suspect was detained at the LCPO detention cell for further investigation and filing of appropriate charges.
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