MANILA, Philippines — Over P18 million worth of illegal drugs were seized in separate operations in Metro Manila on Wednesday.
In Quezon City, Antonieta Pepito, 49, and Judith Amansec, 48, were reportedly caught with P6.8 million worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu in a sting by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Wednesday.
PDEA-National Capital Region director Joel Plaza said a kilo of shabu in a plastic bag were seized from the suspects during the sting in front of mall on North EDSA at around 6:45 p.m.
Gian Carlo dela Cruz, 33; Jenniver Dacumos, 27, and Bryan Ignatio, 27, were arrested in a separate sting in Barangay San Bartolome, also in Quezon City, at around 9 p.m. Wednesday.
Around three grams of shabu worth P20,400 were confiscated from them.
In Parañaque, a kilo of shabu, hidden in a pack of “Refined Chinese Tea,” were seized in a sting in Barangay Don Bosco on Wednesday afternoon.
The shabu, which had a street value of P6.8 million, was confiscated from alleged high-value target Bayan Ibrahim, 32, in an operation conducted by anti-narcotics personnel of the Caloocan and Parañaque police.
Also recovered at the scene were P95,000 in marked money, another P5,000 cash, a Toyota Vios and a cell phone.
In Pasay, members of PDEA’s NCR and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao offices and the Pasay police confiscated around 400 grams of shabu from Christian de Luna, 19; Marvin Samoranos, 21, and John Christopher Macawili, 20, in a sting at a gasoline station on EDSA’s southbound lane on Wednesday morning.
Lawmen also recovered a motorcycle, two cell phones and marked money from the scene.
In Taguig, Alester Barcoma Poon, 33; Matheline Gio Reyes, 42, and Twinkle Ann Reposar Baduya, 34, were arrested in a sting along Apple Street in Purok 3, Barangay New Lower Bicutan at around 9:30 p.m.
At least 15 grams of shabu, with a street value of P102,000, were seized from the three suspects.