P7 million shabu seized in Quiot drug bust

CEBU, Philippines —  Illegal drugs worth almost P7 million were seized and two men were arrested in a buy-bust operation in San Carlos Heights, Barangay Quiot, Cebu City Tuesday night.

Suspects Ryan Rabanes, 19, and Henry Bontilao, 39, were placed under surveillance after a confidential informant tipped off law enforcers about their illicit activity. Both are residents of the city.

Recovered from them were 1020 grams of shabu worth P6,936,000.

Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Josefino Ligan said the two were tracked down after they transacted with a Cebu City Jail inmate.

Rabanes was reportedly working for an inmate named “Bakang.”

Based on the volume of drugs seized, Ligan said the suspects’ source of shabu could be the same with that of the prior operation in Barangay Taptap, where authorities seized 10 kilograms of shabu.

To recall, on June 10, 10 kilos of shabu with an estimated street value of P68 million were seized from three drug suspects— Lihbon Kerr Bargayo, Christopher Lim and Boyet Rama—who were killed in an alleged shootout with law enforcers.

Ligan said the packaging of the confiscated items from both operations has the same Chinese marking.

“There is a possibility nga same source sila kay tungod sa packaging nga nakit-an karon. So we know the source sa kadtong 10 (kg) packaging, ato napod ni silang, i-connect,” he said.

Following the seizure of around P7 million shabu and the arrest of two suspects, Ligan commended the City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) and the Criminal Investigation Unit (CIU) for the successful operation.

“Sayod ta sa kakapoy pagsubay aning mga tawhana, pero nag-materialize, naka-accomplish. So congratulations sa atong CIU ug CDEU,” he said.

Talisay anti-drug operation

Meanwhile, in Talisay City, Cebu, two men were also arrested for possessing 15.25 grams of shabu worth of P103,700 in a buy-bust operation Tuesday night.

This, after Talisay City Police Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) conducted “OPLAN Limpyo” in Sitio Salvador, Barangay Tangke.

Cops recovered eight sachets of shabu, two pieces of P100 bill, and a black pouch from Eman Monterola Bongo, 32, the subject of the operation, and his cohort, Mark Joseph Chavez, 33.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare, chief of Talisay City Police, said Sitio Salvador is one of the three sitios in the barangay where illegal drug trading remains rampant.

“This operation was realized when residents of Sitio Salvador relayed information regarding the activities of these drug suspects. “

“We have penetrated the area through our community-based projects and we have already created our Salvador Defenders who are helping us in our daily patrolling in the sitio,” he said. — Brigida Ramos Gerzon, CNU Intern, KQD (FREEMAN)