Police net P1.2M worth of suspected shabu in Dumaguete City

Items seized from the suspect after an anti-drug operation in Barangay Camanjac, Dumaguete City on November 26, 2018. Photo: Juancho Gallarde

DUMAGUETE CITY — Authorities seized around P1,239,000 worth of suspected shabu in two separate anti-drug operations in this city early this week.

On Monday evening, elements of the Dumaguete Police Station’s City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) confiscated 15 large plastic packs of suspected shabu from a 36-year-old resident of Purok Matinabangon in Barangay Camanjac who was not previously listed in the police drug watchlist.

The individual was arrested in a buy-bust operation inside his own home.

Police estimates show that the suspected shabu seized from the suspect's house weighed around 75 grams, bearing a Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) value of P885,000.

Also confiscated were a black-and-white motorcycle and a P500 bill situated on top of some alleged fake money, among others.

A day later,  more than 30 grams of suspected shabu was also seized in Barangay Pulantubig, this time from an individual bearing the alias "Totong" who was reportedly included in the police watchlist.

Totong was arrested in another joint anti-drug operation led by elements of the Provincial Intelligence Branch-Special Operations Group (PIB-SOG), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU), the Maritime Police, and the Dumaguete City Police Station.

The suspected shabu confiscated from the suspect was estimated to have a DDB value of P354,000.

Two cellphones and other suspected drug paraphernalia were also seized in the operation.

Both suspects are now in the custody of the Dumaguete Police Station and are facing charges of violating Republic Act 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Dumaguete City Police chief Superintendent Jonathan Pineda said that despite the big amounts of suspected drugs seized recently, they are not monitoring any drug syndicate or group operating in the city.

“Naa mi mga high-value target… [pero] almost individual man ni sila (We have high-value targets, but they almost work individually),” he pointed out.

He added that a reason why big amounts of suspected shabu netted recently is because of a presence of a feasible drug market in Dumaguete City.

For his part, Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (NORPPO) acting director Senior Superintendent Raul Tacaca said that the recent major drug operations conducted in the province was due to the implementation of the Simultaneous Enhanced Management Police Operation (SEMPO).

Tacaca also revealed that the shabu in the province usually come from either Mindanao or Manila sent via Cebu. — BM, GMA News