P54.7 million ‘shabu’ seized in twin drug busts in Cebu

The City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) arrests Kirby Abanilla with 5 kilos of suspected shabu in a follow-up operation in Consolacion, Cebu at 9:40 p.m. on Thursday, February 20, 2020. |CCPO Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A total of P54.7 million worth of suspected shabu (crystal meth) weighing at least eight kilograms were seized during the separate buy-bust operations conducted in Cebu City and Consolacion town in northern Cebu on Thursday afternoon and evening, February 21, 2020.

The buy-bust operations conducted by the City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) led to the arrest of two high-value individuals (HVI) identified as Elmer Gallarde, 35, from Barangay Sawang Calero, and Kirby Abanilla, 37, a resident of Barangay Suba, both in Cebu City.

The first to be arrested was Gallarde, at around 5:45 p.m. in Barangay Apas where packs of suspected shabu weighing three kilos (3,005 grams), with a dangerous drugs board (DDB) value of P20.4 million, were seized from his possesion. 

In a follow-up operation at 9:40 p.m. in Santa Lucia, Consolacion, some 20 kilometers north of Cebu City, Abanilla, the cohort of Gallarde, was arrested with about five kilos ( 5,050 grams) of suspected shabu worth P34.3 million.

Police Major Jonathan Taneo of CDEU  on Friday said that the buy-bust operations were in line with the “one time big time operations” in Cebu City and province ordered by Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro, director of Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7).

Taneo said that all the accomplishments will be presented in a press briefing this afternoon,  February 21, at the CCPO headquarters in Camp Sotero Cabahug along Gorordo Avenue, Cebu City. /elb