P70-M shabu found in abandoned car

MANILA, Philippines - Authorities recovered around 14 kilos of shabu, with a value of around P70 million, inside an abandoned car in Malate, Manila on Friday night.

Agents from the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) task force against illegal drugs (TFAID) and the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) found the drugs inside a blue Toyota Corolla with plate number THH-290 parked along Cortabiterte street, just across the Ospital ng Maynila, at around 9 p.m. last Friday.

The car’s front windshield had a sticker bearing the logo of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

An eco-bag contained 14 resealable bags containing suspected shabu, each one weighing around a kilo and with a street value of P5 million.

Barangay police told reporters the car was left unattended since 4 p.m. last Friday.

NBI-TFAID chief Ross Galicia said NBI and BuCor operatives have been monitoring the vehicle since the wee hours on Friday.

Closed-circuit television cameras in nearby areas would be reviewed to find out where the car came from, he added.

The bust was another product of “Oplan Pagbabago” BuCor has enforced since January, said bureau officer-in-charge Rey Raagas.

“Oplan Pagbabago, which conducts continuous intelligence gathering, has been very active with the help of the NBI,” Raagas said.

Asked if the drugs came from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) or was supposed to be sent into the state penitentiary, Raagas said that it is possible but stressed that since December, they have not received reports or seized illegal drugs in the NBP.

Drug Enforcement Group spokesman Superintendent Enrico Rigor said the PNP sticker is easily obtained.

“You can even make a sticker like that by using a computer,” he said in a phone interview.