GMA Brandtalk
Tracking
Archives
P2.4-M worth of shabu seized by QC cops in Laguna operation
A total of P2.4 million worth of shabu was confiscated in a buy-bust sting conducted by operatives of the Station Drug Enforcement Unit of the Novaliches Police Station in Barangay San Antonio, Los Baños, Laguna.
Thirty-nine year-old alleged drug suspect Rossette Dimas alias "Seth” and her 36-year-old live-in partner, Shoaib Macarimbang Sampal alias “Tikboy”, were arrested inside their house on Thursday evening.
Aside from the P200,000 buy-bust money, both suspects yielded five huge sachets of shabu pegged at P2.4 million.
Also arrested was 31-year-old Violeta Espina alias "Monay” who allegedly acted as conduit in the trading of illegal drugs.
Quezon City Police District Station 4 commander Police Superintendent Rossel Cejas and some police officials from Los Baños, Laguna arrived at the scene minutes after the arrests were made.
Cejas told GMA News that prior to the arrests, police transacted with Dimas late Thursday afternoon.
Dimas allegedly told the cop who acted as a buyer to meet her in Cubao, Quezon City. She also allegedly mentioned that she will bring a male friend with her to facilitate the transaction, Cejas added.
Some police back-up were deployed in Cubao at exactly 5 p.m. to watch for the arrival of Dimas and her live-in-partner Sampal from a nearby province.
Police waited for an hour at the target place. But instead, Espina arrived and told the police that she was brought by Dimas to escort them to Laguna.
The police agreed to proceed to the area.
The team on board three vehicles and some police riders in civilian clothes proceeded to Barangay San Antonio in Los Baños.
The group arrived at the target place at around 9 p.m., and positioned themselves in different strategic locations.
Minutes later, the suspects on board an SUV arrived at the place where the decoy cop and an informant were waiting. Soon after, they were able to buy P200,000 worth of shabu from Dimas and Sampal.
Sampal was arrested. Dimas on the other hand evaded arrest and ran inside a nearby house, which police later learned is owned by both suspects.
Dimas was cornered by the police who chased her.
At the Novaliches Police Station, Dimas and Espina declined to be interviewed. Sampal however agreed to be interviewed but not on camera.
Sampal told GMA News that they moved to Los Baños from Phase 12 in Caloocan after his relative died due to drug-related issues.
He also said that the shabu involved were from Caloocan City particularly in Phase 12.
Novaliches SDEU chief Police Superintendent Dennis Francisco, who spearheaded the buy-bust sting, confirmed Sampal's revelation.
He said that Sampal's relative was the chairman of a certain barangay in Caloocan that was shot dead due to a drug-related case.
The 350 grams of shabu recovered from the suspects allegedly came from Phase 12. All the illegal drugs that were distributed to some parts of Metro Manila and some nearby provinces in the last few years originated from Caloocan, Francisco added.
Francisco also revealed that Espina played a big part in both Sampal and Dimas' illegal drug trade by conniving with them in the spread of drugs not only in Caloocan, Quezon City, Manila and some parts of Rizal Province.
"Ang diskarte talaga delivery si 'Monay'. Uututusan ni 'Seth' saka ng asawa na si 'Tikboy,'" Francisco said.
"Ang basura hindi sa Laguna talaga... kundi galing sa Caloocan . Doon dinadala para panlito lang kasi ang diskarte nila kunyari si 'Monay' kinukuha niya ang mga basura diyan sa mga condo sa Cubao pero yung shabu nila doon pa rin talaga galing sa Dose (Phase 12, Caloocan City)," Francisco ended.
The three suspects are now facing drug charges for violating Sections 5, 11 and 26 of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. — DVM/KG, GMA News
