P6.9M shabu seized from a new drug personality in Cebu City

Police present the about a kilo of shabu valued at P6.9 million seized from alleged high value target John Joe “Insik” de Leon during a drug bust in Barangay Duljo Fatima, Cebu City on Feb. 1, 2019. | Photo by Benjie Talisic

CEBU CITY, Phillipines — The Cebu City police kicked off the month of February with a major catch and a drug haul of about a kilo of suspected shabu (crystal meth) in a drug bust in R. Padilla Street, Barangay Duljo Fatima on Friday, February 1.

Arrested during the initial  drug bust was Alvino “Albhung” Bicada, 32, who was caught near his residence in B.Rodriguez Extention Barangay Sambag 2,  Cebu City. He then  led the police to his source where about a kilo of shabu valued at P6.9 million was found.

The second person, John Joe  “Insik” de Leon, 35, was arrested in  the follow-up operation on the same day at his rented apartment in  Barangay Duljo Fatima,  police said.

The operation was jointly conducted by the Drug Enforcement Group (DEG) Visayas (Special Operations Unit 5), the Abellana Police Station and the Mambaling Police Precinct,  the Regional Special Operations Group in Central Visayas (RSOG-7) and Regional Intelligence Division-Central Visayas (RID-7).

Superintendent  Glenn Mayam, chief of DEG Visayas who led the operation, said Bicada was caught after selling about 15 grams of the prohibited drug to a police agent. Bicada then led the police to De Leon.

Mayam said Bicada was a newly identified drug personality while Den Leon was considered a high value target.

Mayam said it took them almost two months of surveillance before they found out when Bicada would usually get his stock of drugs from De Leon.

He said De Leon was already in their list of high value target but they did not know his exact location until hours prior to his arrest.

De Leon, on the other hand, insisted that was also just a courier and that he was only sent drugs by a certain “Oplok.”

De Leon also claimed he got engaged in drug dealing activity for only about week prior to his arrest. But his claim was belied by his neighbors who said there had been suspicious activities in De Leon’s apartment for about a year now. /elb