P8.6 million in shabu seized; 2 arrested

CEBU, Philippines —  Illegal drugs worth over P8.7 million were confiscated from three suspected drug personalities in a buy-bust operation in Lower Torre, Barangay Inayawan, Cebu City yesterday dawn.

Operatives of the Provincial Intelligence Branch (PIB) of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) arrested James Peter Reyes Pastoriza, 46, a high-value target (HIV), and Ricky Medil Pelida, 34, during the operation. Both suspects are residents of Barangay Basak San Nicolas.

Recovered from them were one big and two medium packs of shabu weighing 1,280 grams. The drugs were packaged inside tea wrappers.

However, the other HIV suspect, Jeric Canton, managed to evade arrest, said Police Lieutenant Colonel Marlu Conag.

Conag, who heads the CPPO-PIB, a follow-up operation was hatched to catch Canton.

The arrest of the suspects, the PIB chief said, was part of the synchronized enhancement managing and police operations (Sempo).

Through Sempo, police earlier seized P70.7 million worth of illegal drugs in Cebu City and Cebu province in less than 72 hours.

Police also arrested 483 persons during the operations.

Of the 483 suspects, 344 individuals were served with warrants of arrest, and 280 were drug personalities: 59 high-value and 221 street-level individuals.  KQD (FREEMAN)