Cops checking if 2 HVTs caught with P7M shabu are members of drug syndicate

The Consolacion police inventories the illegal drugs that they have confiscated in a buy-bust operation in Consolacion town on January 20, 2020.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police are investigating if the two high value targets, who were caught with P7 million worth of suspected shabu, have links to a big illegal drugs syndicate.

Police Major Verniño Noserale, Consolacion Police Station chief, said that they were verifying if suspects, Joann Sanchez, 42, and RJ Jazon Jerusalem, 28, of Barangay Lorega, Cebu City had links or were alleged members of the Ygot drug syndicate.

Noserale said that they were following this up after the a kilo of suspected shabu, which had a Dangerous Drugs Board value of P7 million, taken from the suspects were similar to the illegal drugs confiscated during the during that bloody July 23, 2019 buy-bust operation in Mandaue City.

In earlier reports, the Ygot drug group was described to be a notorious drug syndicate previously based in Consolacion town in northern Cebu.

He said in that July 23 operation three drug suspects, who turned out later to be alleged members of the Ygot drug syndicate, were killed in a shootout with police officers at the Mandaue Reclamation Area.

The suspected shabu wrapped in plastic were similar to the ones they confiscated during the drug bust on Monday in Sitio Bangkerohan, Barangay Tayud, Consolacion at 11 p.m., said Noserale.

“Ang picture sa usa ka kilo, pareho gyud siya sa Mandaue… possible nga same source or the same organization,” said Noserale.

(The picture of the one kilo package was the same with the one in Mandaue…it’s possible that they have the same source or the same organization.)

Read more: 3 men killed in Mandaue City encounter are members of Ygot drug syndicate

Noserale said Sanchez and Jerosalem admitted to be operating around Cebu City and have given the police name of their source who was said to be inside the City jail.

However, Noserale said they will have to verify the information as the statement is the usual alibi of the arrested drugs personalities which may not be true.

The two also confessed that they store the big packages of shabu that is being distributed only to those who could afford bulk orders.

“Dili ni sila mo baligya og ginagmay (They don’t sell small amount of illegal drugs),” said Noserale.

He said they found a list of the transactions done by the two during the operation and saw that the at the two could dispose at least two kilos of shabu in every 10 days.

Aside from Sanchez and Jerosale, four others were also arrested, who were believed to be the local distributors of the two HVTs.

They were Jonaly Dinoy Bemtazal, 27, from Barangay Sun-ok, Cordova; Jennifer Narido Flore, 21, Baby Beldosola, 25 and Helen Cuevas, 52, who were all from Barangay Lorega, Cebu City./dbs