Couple yields P27.4M worth of ‘shabu’ in Tagbilaran City buy-bust

Authorities seized suspected shabu worth P27.4 million from a couple during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Mansasa, Tagbilaran City, Bohol, on February 27, 2024. | BPPO photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Anti-drug operatives seized suspected shabu worth P27.4 million from a couple in Barangay Mansasa, Tagbilaran City, Bohol, around 11 p.m. on February 27, 2024.

The suspects are Peter John Cuadra, 24, unemployed, and his partner Mary Ann Miano Baricar, 19, a student, both residents of Barangay Bool.

The anti-illegal drug operation was conducted by the Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit and the Provincial Intelligence Unit (PIU) of the Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO), under the supervision of PIU chief, Lieutenant Colonel Joemar Pomarejos.

During the operation, police confiscated several large packs of shabu from both Cuadra and Miano, totaling 4.03 kilograms with a Standard Drug Price (SDP) of P27.4 million.

In a teleconference, Lieutenant Colonel Norman Nuez, spokesperson for the BPPO, stated that Cuadra managed logistics as the ‘bodegero,’ overseeing storage and handling, while Baricar acted as the courier or distributor of the drugs.

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Nuez said that the drug business of the couple operates through a dispatch system.

The couple allegedly received calls from individuals with aliases instructing them to pick up large quantities of drugs from specified locations.

They can pick up drugs ranging from two to five kilograms, and sometimes they received instructions to divide a kilogram into smaller quantities such as 100 or 50 grams.

Nuez also said that their transactions involved receiving calls to deliver batches of drugs to specific locations, with payments facilitated through an e-wallet app.

Each kilogram of drugs reportedly yielded around P50,000 in profit for the couple.

Nuez revealed that the couple had only been involved in the drug business for around a month and were considered newcomers in the industry.

Despite their limited experience, they managed to establish a network in Tagbilaran City, which served as their primary location for drug disposal.

Following their arrest, Nuez said that the couple claimed that they were unable to identify their exact source as they only communicated with individuals using aliases.

A police report revealed that the seized drugs and the arrested individuals were subsequently turned over to the appropriate authorities for further investigation and legal proceedings.

As of this writing, the suspects are under the custody of authorities pending the filing of charges.

Charges for the illegal sale and possession of a prohibited drug are currently being prepared against the two suspects.

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