₱14-M shabu seized in Cebu anti-drug ops

CEBU CITY – Law enforcers continued to score big in the campaign against illegal drugs after more than ₱14-million worth of suspected shabu were seized in separate anti-illegal drug operations last Saturday night here.

In Barangay Pardo, police seized two kilos of shabu worth ₱13.6 million from two 22-year-old men.

Chief Insp. Regino Maramag, chief of the Pardo police station, said the suspects, Giovanni Canazares and Danilo dela Cerna, had been in the illegal drugs trade for a quite some time.

Maramag said police started monitoring the suspects when a concerned citizen went to the Pardo police station to report the two men’s illegal drug activities.

In Barangay Mambaling, packs of shabu worth more than ₱500,000 were recovered from a 34-year-old man and a 43-year-old woman.

Police said Samuel Belarmino's role was to deliver illegal drugs while Pamela Gonzales was selling them to their patrons.

They were arrested after selling a medium-sized pack of shabu to a police poseur-buyer.

Three large packs and two mediumsized packs believed to contain shabu worth ₱508,000 were confiscated from the two suspects.

In Barangay Labangon, two men were also arrested in a buy-bust operation.

Jonel Engreso, 19, and Janjan Engreso yielded 55 grams of shabu worth ₱370,000.

Chief Insp. keith Anday, chief of the Labangon police station, said the two men refused to reveal their source of illegal drugs.

Early Saturday morning, a man described by police as a high-value target was killed after he allegedly resisted arrest in Barangay Tabunok, Talisay City.

Police said Rolando Bacarisas Valdez had just sold two packs of shabu to a poseur buyer when he noticed that he was transacting with a policeman.

Police said Valdez drew a revolver and started shooting at the arresting team. A brief shootout occurred until the suspect was neutralized.

Police said Valdez was the same person who shot and wounded PO1 Jaylord Joseph Taping in anti-drug operation in the same barangay last Nov. 23.

Aside from selling illegal drugs, police said there were reports that the man was involved in stealing motorcycles, robberies, and gun-forhire activities.

The series of drug operations came after the recovery of a shabu stash worth ₱51 million in a highend subdivision in Mandaue City last Feb. 9.

Arrested in the operation was Charlie Fortuna, who admitted to be a