Cebu City police confiscates P5M worth of shabu from three peddlers

(Left to Right) Drug suspects Dave “Peaeson” Cabije, 20, and Jither Bacante, 19, were arrested in a police operation in Barangay Pasill, Cebu City late night on Saturday. /Benjie Talisic

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Three men from Barangays Pasil and Tisa, who opted to make illegal drugs peddling as a source of livelihood, and a suspected drug user were arrested for the possession of more than P5 million worth of illegal drugs  in two separate anti-drugs operations in Cebu City, Saturday night, June 1, 2019.

The bulk of the shabu weighing around 620 grams and worth P4.2 million was confiscated from the possession of Jither Bacante, 19, and Dave “Peaeson” Cabije, 20, who are both from Sitio Mahayahay 2 in Barangay Pasil.

Police also confiscated 155 grams of shabu worth at least P1 million from Wenniel Lumactod, 22, of Sitio Chicosan, Lower Southillls in Barangay Tisa.

The two operations happened shortly after city police also confiscated P16.8 million worth of shabu during a two-day Synchronized Enhanced Managing Police Operations (Sempo).

Read More: CCPO: Two-day Sempo yields P16.8M shabu, nets 49 drug suspects

Police Lieutenant Colonel Carlito Apilat of the City Intelligence Branch (CIB) said that he sent a poseur buyer to transact with Bacante and Cabije at around 11 p.m. on Saturday.

Both were unable to resist arrest after they were cornered by police in a small alley in Sitio Mahayahay 2 while transacting with the police poseur buyer.

CIB police confiscated 12 large and four medium packs believed to contain white crystal meth from the two men.

Apilat said they placed the suspects, who are new in the illegal drugs trade business, under surveillance for at least two weeks.  He said that both men are jobless and earns from their illegal drugs sales.

The CIB chief said that they will continue to investigate Bacante and Cabije to identify their supplier and other members of their illegal drugs network.

Four hours earlier, Labangon police also arrested Lumactod and his costumer, Cristina Echavarria, 40.

Police Major Keith Allen Andaya, chief of the Labangon Police Station, said that Lumactod was the target of their Saturday night operation.  They also arrested Echavarria, who was buying illegal drugs from the suspect, during his arrest at past 7 p.m.

Andaya considers Lumactod, a high value target, who disposes half a kilo or P3.4 million worth of shabu per week. He said that they have placed him under surveillance for at least two months prior to his arrest.

He said that they are now exploring the possibility that Lumactod would source his shabu from another high value target, whom they are yet to identify.

“Kanang source ni Lumactod mao gyud na kasagaran mag supply sa amo area of responsibility,” said Andaya.

(Lumactod’s source supplies illegal drugs within our area of responsibility.) /dcb