Cops probe if HVT arrested with P1.1 M shabu has Espinosa drug group links

The Abellana Police station confiscated a total of P1.1 million worth of illegal drugs in a buy-bust operation conducted in Clavano Street, Barangay Capitol Site, Cebu City around 12:30 this afternoon, February 14, 2020. | Photo Courtesy of Abellana Police station

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police are checking if a high-value target (HVT), who was caught with P1.1 million worth of suspected shabu during an anti-illegal drug operation at past noon on Friday, February 14, 2020 at Clavano Street, Barangay Capitol Site in Cebu City, is a member of Kerwin Espinosa’s drug group.

Police Major Elisandro Quijano, chief of the Abellana Police Station, said that they were investigating the background of Jessie Cabacutan Villagonzalo, 41, after they received reports of his being an alleged member of the drug group.

Quijano, however, said Villagonzalo of Sitio Mahayahay, Barangay Apas, Cebu City, refused to cooperate with them and had refused to give information related to the drug trade.

He said that the information about Villagonzalo allegedly being a member of a drug group had come from previously arrested drug suspects.

“Pero amoa pa iverify (But we are still verifying if it’s true),” said Quijano.

He said that they were not discounting the possibility that Villagonzalo could be a member of a bigger drug group as he was detected to be disposing illegal drugs in the areas of Mandaue City and Lapu-Lapu City.

In the three-days surveillance before the buy-bust operation, Quijano said they were able to find out that the suspect could at least dispose a kilo of drugs per week.

Although the suspect had remained silent about his illegal drug trade, Quijano said they were able to at least get some names of the persons whom Villagonzalo was pointing as his source for the illegal drugs.

“We still have a follow-up operation,” said Quijano./dbs