P1.5M shabu seized in Roxas City

ILOILO CITY — A couple and a 17-year-old boy were arrested with around P1.5 million worth of shabu in their possessionK

Florencio Abalayan, 37, and his live-in partner Cherry Jardeleza, 34, both residents of Barangay Tiza, Roxas City; and the minor, a resident of Barangay Mongpong, were arrested in a buy-bust operation around 1:30 p.m. last Thursday in Sitio Ilaya, Barangay Sibuguan, Roxas City.

The team from the Capiz Provincial Police Office Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit led by Senior Inspector Hilbert Gervero recovered several sachets of shabu weighing around 150 grams, several drug paraphernalia, a mobile phone, P1,000 marked money, and cash in different denominationsK

Capiz police chief Senior Superintendent Samuel Nacion said Abalayan is considered a low-value target while his two companions were newly-identified drug personalities, the minor worked as his runner.

Abalayan earlier surrendered through Oplan Tokhang. However, Nacion noted that all three suspects had no previous arrests.

"Abalayan directly got his supply from Metro Manila. He'd been keeping it for a long time already and had been slowly disposing it," he addedK

The slow disposal had been partly due to the sluggish demand for shabu in Roxas City.

The Capiz PDEU conducted surveillance on Abalayan since the start of this year. There were several attempts to arrest him in the past but operatives were not successful until the operation last ThursdayK

Abalayan, Jardeleza, and the minor are now in the custody of authorities and will be charged for violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002)K