Cebu City drug bust: 5 persons nabbed, P102,000 ‘shabu’ seized

Authorities shut down a suspected drug den and arrested five persons along Maya Street in Barangay Basak-San Nicolas, Cebu City on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. | PDEA-7 Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines – A Cebu City drug bust led to the arrest of a man, who was once arrested for a drug case and released on bail, and his nephew and 3 others after a buy bust in Barangay Basak-San Nicolas, Cebu City on Thursday evening, February 15, 2024.

The operation, which was initiated with the help of concerned citizens, led to the seizure of suspected shabu worth P102,000.

The subject of the operation was identified as Jonathan Sollo, 41, jobless and the alleged maintainer of the drug den.

READ: E-bike driver caught with P6.8M worth of shabu in Cebu City

Despite his attempts to escape, Sollo was nabbed along with his nephew, John Rey Sollo, 25, who is also jobless.

Also arrested were alleged drug den visitors: Noel C. Radaza, 40; Vingie M. Tapere, 46; and Archie Mabaso, 43.

Both Radaza and Mabaso are reportedly jobless while Tapere is said to be a driver of a public utility jeepney (PUJ).

According to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7), the alleged drug den maintainer sustained minor wounds when he attempted to escape.

Leia Alcantara, PDEA-7 spokesperson, said that the older Sollo was arrested back in December of 2021 for a drug-related case.

However, he was released after posing bail.

She added that the suspect typically disposes of around 20 grams of illegal drugs per week and that they spent 3 weeks on the case buildup.

READ: PDEA-7 destroys illegal drugs worth P330.5M

Operatives seized from the suspects 4 packs of suspected shabu weighing around 15 grams.

The confiscated contraband in the Cebu City drug bust had an estimated market value of P102,000.

PDEA-7 disclosed in the report that the pieces of drug evidence have been submitted for chemical analysis and proper disposition to the laboratory.

In addition to this, operatives recovered various drug paraphernalia during the operation.

As of this writing, all 5 suspects of the Cebu City drug bust are under the custody of authorities while waiting for the filing of charges against them.

According to the agency, they will be facing charges for maintenance and employment in a drug den; possession and sale of drugs; and possession of drug paraphernalia.

READ: Illegal drugs worth P21.72 billion seized in 10 months