Bus marshals intercept P1-M hashish

MANILA, Philippines - Police bus marshals intercepted Thursday 40 bricks of hashish, which have a street value of P1 million, from an alleged drug courier as he arrived at a bus terminal in Quezon City, an official said yesterday.

Cyrus Marngo, 31, of Kalinga province, was reportedly carrying 4.5 kilos of hashish in a bag when he was arrested at around 11 a.m. as he was about to board a bus bound for the Visayas at the Araneta Center Bus Terminal.

“The arrest of the suspect and the confiscation of the drug contraband was a result of our deployment of bus marshals all over the city,” Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director Senior Superintendent Richard Albano said.

QCPD deputy director for administration Senior Superintendent Joel Pagdilao said the contraband was supposed to be transported to Bohol, where it would be shipped to prospective buyers in Australia and New Zealand.

A police bus marshal noticed Marngo “acting suspiciously” while he was traveling in a Dagupan Bus unit from Northern Luzon, Pagdilao said. The marshal alerted a team posted at the Cubao terminal.

“Had we not intercepted it, the drug contraband would have reached abroad, where the selling price is reportedly 10 times higher,” Albano said.