‘Pusher’ yields P1.5M drugs

CEBU, Philippines - The police Thursday evening confiscated around P1.5 million worth of illegal drugs from an alleged drug pusher during a buy-bust operation on Gen. Genis Street, Barangay Sawang Calero, Cebu City Thursday evening.

Richard Plando, 25, was apprehended after handing one pack of suspected shabu to a police poseur-buyer in exchange for P1,000 in marked money.

Cebu City Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Force operatives and San Nicolas Police Station members conducted the joint operation against Plando around 11:30 p.m.

Senior Inspector Eunil Avergonzado, CAIDSOTF chief who led the operation, said Plando was considered to be a bigtime drug pusher who can dispose of at least a kilo of suspected shabu in a week.

Avergonzado said they subjected Plando under surveillance for three weeks after receiving information that the suspect was engaged in illegal drug trade in the area.

The police recovered from Plando a medium-sized sachet of suspected shabu, which was the subject of the buy-bust operation; six big packs of suspected shabu; P1, 000 marked money; P2, 000 cash; and a digital weighing scale.

Plando admitted to selling drugs, but said only in small amounts, denying that he was a bigtime pusher. He is currently detained at the Cebu City Police Office.

Plando’s arrest came a month after Regional Intelligence Division of the Police Regional Office – 7 handcuffed alleged drug courier Lean Criston Artiaga, 26, who reportedly tried to smuggle drugs in Talibon, Bohol via ferry.

Artiaga was caught after an x-ray machine operator noticed him carrying a paper bag which he did not include for scanning.

Over P6 million worth of suspected drugs weighing more than 500 grams were found inside the paper bag. — Grace Melanie I. Lacamiento/RHM (FREEMAN)