Police nab woman with 1 kilo of shabu

CEBU, Philippines – A 25-year-old woman was arrested after yielding P5 million worth of suspected shabu during a buy-bust operation yesterday inside a motel in Barangay Carreta.

Police arrested Restbei Basak Tampus, a native of Cabantan St., Barrio Luz, after a kilo of the prohibited substance was recovered from her possession.

Operatives of the City Intelligence Branch led by Chief Insp. Romeo Santander rushed at one of the rooms of Travellers Resthouse where the buy-bust operation was held at past 10 am.

Senior Supt. Melvin Ramon Buenafe, Director of Cebu City Police Office, said they received intelligence information from Manila that the suspect was on her way to Cebu to deliver the illegal drugs.

A policeman acted as buyer and made the transaction to buy the substance for P3 million. Tampus reportedly agreed at the price and also agreed to a meeting at the motel yesterday.

Tampus, in tears, claimed that a Chinese national handed her the substance last Sunday when she was still in Manila. She was told to wait at a motel in Cebu City where someone would later take the drugs from her.

She said the foreigner, whose name she doesn't know, is an acquaintance of her friend she only knew as "Lara." She said she met Lara in Manila.

Tampus has been staying since 2005 in Manila where her husband is detained for a human trafficking case.

Last Sunday, Tampus said, Lara called her up and told her about the "job" she has to do. She agreed because she was promised a "big share" of the proceeds, which she wanted to use for the operation of her 60-year-old grandmother who is living in Barrio Luz.

Santander said the suspect was supposed to get P20,000 had the illegal transaction been successful. The suspect, though, said she was still supposed to wait for further instructions from the foreigner after the transaction.

Tampus disclosed that from Manila, she rode a bus for Ormoc City, Leyte and then boarded a ship. She arrived in Cebu at 4 a.m. yesterday with the prohibited drugs without encountering trouble with the port authorities.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama went to the crime scene and described the operation of the policemen as an "optimistic development."

Rama hopes this would send a message to potential criminals to think twice before pursuing their illegal activities. Charges for selling shabu will be filed against Tampus. - /JPM (FREEMAN)