Man arrested trying to take drugs home

A 27-year-old man who was about to board a fast craft bound for Hilongos, Southern Leyte, ended up in jail instead after security guard found drugs in his luggage yesterday morning at the passenger terminal in Pier 1.

Maritime police identified the suspect as Eric Vilbar, a native of Matalom, Southern Leyte, who was collared by security guard Jiji Jumantoc assisted by members of the ASEAN Summit's Task Force Alalay assigned to guard the pier areas.

Jumantoc was detailed at the passenger terminal of Ocean Jet and checked luggage of boarding passengers, when it was Vilbar's turn the man allegedly refused to have his bag inspected.

This prompted Jumantoc to suspect some contraband inside the bag, but Vilbar reportedly grabbed it back and ran outside resulting to a short chase.

Alarmed TF Alalay officers outside the terminal also joined the chase and collared the suspect, they later found the bag containing nearly half-a-kilo of dried marijuana leaves and nine small packs of suspected shabu.

Reports said that Vilbar, who is a fish dealer in Matalum, admitted owning the said illegal drugs, he claimed that he bought it from barangay Lorega-San Miguel and wanted to bring it home for his personal consumption. - Edwin Ian Melecio