Shabu still most sought-after drugs

CEBU, Philippines — The shabu still remains as the most sought-after illegal drugs in Cebu City despite having a reduction on the supply basing on the assessment of the City Intelligence Unit.

"Ang number one man gyud is shabu gyud," said Police Lt. Colonel Randy Caballes, CIU chief, when asked if there is new trend of illegal drugs in the city following the reported decrease of supply of shabu.

To recall, the operating units under the Police Regional Office (PRO-7) and other law enforcement agencies were able to seize at least 10 kilos of suspected shabu after suspects were intercepted in a checkpoint in Barangay Taptap, Cebu City.

This was also after they ran-off from a buy-bust operation conducted in Camp 4, Talisay City on the same evening a week ago.

With the seizure of at least 10 kilos of shabu from the three slain drug suspects after shooting it out with the authorities, Caballes said they expected a decrease of its supply in the city.

According to Caballes, the group behind the 10 kilos recovered shabu was not the only group operating in Cebu City.

"Usa lang sya sa daghan nga grupo nga nag-operate, kana syang ten kilos dili lang sya sa Cebu lang nga supply, apil na pud ana ang sa Province," said Caballes.

"Naa lang syay gamay ra nga epekto sa supply nato kay daghan man na sila nga nag-supply diri sa Cebu," he added.

Caballes further said that the operations against illegal drugs particularly on shabu will remain intensified since there are still more drug suppliers operating in the city.

When asked for the statistics on the consumption of illegal drugs both for users and sellers, Caballes said they are yet to establish the “picture” on the ground since it needs more in-depth investigation.

On June 16, the CIU has seized at least 171 pieces of another category of illegal drugs identified as nubain from two arrested suspects.

Caballes, however, said that they cannot yet say that nubain is the new trend of illegal drugs in the city considering that there have been previous operations last year against this kind of illegal drugs.

"So ang kining nubain dili gyud nato makita nga new trend kay existing naman sya," said Caballes.

"Pero small percentage lang ilang supply sa drug users diri sa Cebu," he added. — GMR (FREEMAN)