Paknaan resident, caught with P3.4M shabu, celebrates birthday inside detention cell

Inquirer stock photo

MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — Instead of celebrating his June 9 birthday in his home, a resident of Barangay Paknaan in Mandaue City, ended celebrating his birthday inside a detention cell in Mandaue City.

This was after Alvin Araneta, who is also known as “Ego,” was caught with 500 grams of suspected shabu during a followup buy-bust operation on June 9 in Purok Tambis, Barangay Umapad, Mandaue City.

Police said that the market value of the confiscated drugs was P3.4 million.

They also described Araneta as a high-value target.

Followup buy-bust ops

According to Police Captain Waldo Batad, assistant chief of Police Station 5 in Barangay Opao in Mandaue City, the operation against Araneta was conducted after Jocel Zanoria, who is also known as “Alexa,” told them where he bought his drugs.

Zanoria was arrested in a buy-bust operation on Monday, June 5.

READ: Arrested street-level pusher on why he’s selling drugs: ‘I have no other choice’

Boss identified

Investigation showed that Paknaan resident Araneta would only deliver the drugs from his boss, who was later identified as an inmate at the Mandaue City Jail.

Araneta told police that he would just be told by his boss where to get the drugs, and where to deliver them.

READ: P10 million shabu: Drug haul for a week’s police operations in CV

Araneta HVT

Batad said that Araneta was classified as a high value target, who could allegedly dispose kilos of suspected shabu in a week.

Araneta also told police that he would be given P5,000 a week for his deliveries.

He also told police that he planned to stop but then he was caught and was arrested on June 9.

RELATED STORIES

Senate confirms cover-up in P6.7-billion ‘shabu’ haul

Drug lords import high-grade ‘shabu’ for rich users

Kerwin Espinosa acquitted by Makati court in drug case due to insufficient evidence

Remulla sees conviction of more erring drug war cops

/dbs