7 ‘pushers’ nabbed, P730 thousand drugs seized

CEBU, Philippines —  Shabu and marijuana worth around P730,000 were seized in separate stings in Cebu City and Cebu province that led to the arrest of seven people yesterday.

Bulk or P400,000 (packs of marijuana) of the drugs was confiscated from 18-year-old Ace Cabiles, a resident of Barangay General Climaco, Toledo City, Cebu.

Authorities said Cabiles was the delivery guy who supplied marijuana to  clients in Toledo.

Another suspect, Augustin Can~iban Abendan, 31, a resident of Barangay Inayawan, was also caught with 30 grams of shabu worth P204,000.

He was nabbed in a buy-bust operation yesterday morning on R. Duterte Street in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City.

Still in Cebu City, Juncar Tabil, 23-year-old criminology student, was arrested for possessing 5.1 grams of shabu worth P34,680.

Police Major Eraño Regidor of San Nicolas Police Station’s Drug Enforcement Unit said Tabil was placed under surveillance for one week prior to the conduct of the buy-bust yesterday morning in Barangay Sawang Calero.

Tabil, a new player in the illegal drug trade, could dispose of up to 50 grams of shabu a week, said Regidor.

The police officer said Tabil’s contact and supplier is from the City Jail.

In separate anti-narcotics operations in Barangay Tanke, Talisay City, Cebu, three suspected drug pushers were arrested by the city police.

The suspects—Abner Batulan, Roberto Reyes and Cherrylou Bacallan—were caught with 13.75 grams of shabu worth P80,980.

City police chief Gerard Ace Pelare attributed the successful operations to the creation of “Tanke Defenders” in sitios Rattan, Magay and Tunga.

“They have helped in slowly eliminating the illegal drug traders in the areas. The participation of the community in reporting drug-related activities is really of big help to authorities,” he said.

In another operation in Consolacion town, Cebu, Crosaldo Tautoan Englatera, 39, was apprehended in a buy-bust operation.

Seized from him were packs of shabu with an estimated Dangerous Drug Board (DDB) value of P8,016, and a P500 buy-bust money.

All seven suspects will be slapped with charges for violating Sections 5 and 11, Article II of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002). — Rowena D. Capistrano, Romeo T. Limpangog and Gabriel C. Bonjoc, KQD (FREEMAN)