₱3.5-M shabu, Valium seized in Taguig bust

Police on Friday arrested two suspected big-time drug pushers, whose boss is said to be an inmate at the Metro Manila District Jail, and seized more than ₱3.5-million worth of shabu and anti-depressant drug Valium 10 in a buy-bust operation in Taguig City.

The suspects were identified as Rudolf Dejos, alias “Paloy,” 39, of ML Quezon St., Hagonoy, Barangay San Miguel, Taguig, and Jayson Esguerra, 24, of General Luna St., Barangay Ususan, Taguig.

National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Guillermo Eleazar said the NCRPO Regional Drug Enforcement Unit and Taguig police arrested the suspects at Dejos’ house at 10:30 p.m.

Eleazar said a police poseur-buyer successfully bought 100 grams of shabu valued at ₱175,000 from the suspects, who were both identified as newly-identified drug personalities in Taguig City. Their areas of operation include southern Metro Manila and Rizal.

"This operation was a result of our intelligence monitoring that a big group is distributing shabu in large quantities in the area so we did a surveillance on them," Eleazar said.

"Accordingly, the drugs came from the suspects' cohort in Batangas but the one giving the command for their drug transactions is their gangmate who is currently detained at the Metro Manila District Jail," he added.

The NCRPO chief said the operation of the suspects in Taguig started mid-2017 after their boss – whose identity has yet to be revealed – was imprisoned for murder.

"After being jailed, their boss was associated with the other drug groups inside the prison and that's when he started engaging in illegal drug transactions," he said.

Police have initiated an investigation to uncover how the boss was able to give command to his group outside the MMDJ, Eleazar noted.

Police recovered from the suspects six tie-knotted plastic packs with 525 grams of suspected shabu worth ₱3.5 million and 150 pieces of Valium 10 valued at ₱12,000.