BIG-TIME BUST: Six kilos of ‘shabu’ seized; stash valued at P72M
- TBN News
- Aug 9, 2018
- 2 min read
SOURCE: The Daily Guardian
BACOLOD City – Days after the Negros Occidental police asked for additional x-ray scanners at the San Carlos City port to detect and intercept contrabands like illegal drugs, authorities seized six kilos of suspected shabu or crystal meth at Brgy. Palampas, San Carlos City around 12:30 a.m. on August 8, 2018.
The shabu stash, the biggest to be intercepted in Western Visayas so far, was seized by combined operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-6, PNP, and military intelligence units after a buy-bust operation.
The estimated value of the seized shabu is P72 million (at P12 million a kilo, based on estimates by the Dangerous Drug Board). But a report from PDEA-6 regional office valued the stash at P40.8 million.
The buy-bust targeted suspected drug peddlers Armando Paraquelles, Josephine Paraquelles, and an alias “Putot,” all residents of Brgy. Palampas, San Carlos City.
But the trio escaped to a sugarcane plantation after sensing the presence of an undercover PDEA agent.
A report from PDEA-6 regional office in Iloilo City indicated that the Paraquelles are residents of Calatrava and San Carlos City while Putot is from San Carlos City.
The seized drugs, which weighed more or less six kilos, were packed in six re-sealable plastic pouches. The packs were wrapped in paper and sealed with packing tape.
The team also seized a motorcycle, a mobile phone, and P6.8 million in boodle or fake money including the P100 marked money.
Supt. D’Artagnan Katalbas, San Carlos City police chief, said the three suspects are “new players” who distributed shabu in San Carlos City and neighboring areas in northern Negros.
Katalbas said this is the second time that police and PDEA recovered a big volume of shabu at Brgy. Palampas.
Early this year, authorities collared habal-habal driver Christian Unabiawho yielded more than half a kilo of shabu worth P6.8 million.
Police investigation showed that drug traffickers are now very enterprising and try to evade authorities by changing their operations, including the use of new personalities and transportation modes.
Katalbas said they monitored that drug traffickers used pump boats in transporting illegal drugs to the shorelines of San Carlos City and Calatrava from Toledo, Cebu.
He added that they are still trying to determine the source of the 6-kilo shabu stash.
The PDEA and PNP have identified Cebu as one of the sources of shabu that reach Negros Island.
Before the San Carlos City operation, police in Bacolod City also seized P1.44 million worth of suspected shabu in a drug buy-bust at Purok Ube, Barangay 4 at around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Two suspects were arrested – Faisalin Ibra, 21, of Barangay Raya, and Norhan Caunda, 42, of Barangay Lilod all in Marawi City.
The duo resided at the Islamic Center on Lopez Jaena St. in Barangay 30 here.
The operatives seized six sachets of suspected shabu that weighed 120 grams and two P1,000 bills used as marked money.
The team also confiscated a Hyundai Accent sedan without plate number.
Ibra and Caunda are now detained at Police Station 2.
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