PDEA nabs two for P8M shabu

CEBU, Philippines - A woman and her daughter were arrested by agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-7 after claiming a parcel that contained a kilo of shabu with an estimated value of P8 million from the office of a private courier in Cebu City past 3 p.m. yesterday.

Editha Paul, 58, and her daughter Marichris, 32, were arrested by PDEA agents inside the office of the courier after Editha claimed the parcel. Both are residents of Barangay Lorega, Cebu City.

PDEA-7 operations chief Dave Mark Maramba said they earlier received information from the PDEA National Capital Region about the shipment from Barangay Alabang in Muntinlupa City.

After receiving the report PDEA-7 Regional Director Espirideon Javier ordered his men to verify the report and coordinate with the courier. Maramba said they asked the courier to deliver it to the intended consignee and the courier’s cooperation led to the arrest of the suspects.

Past 3 p.m. yesterday, Editha and Maricris went to claim the parcel in the office of the courier and opened it there; this was when the agents arrested them.

Maramba said that the box contained 10 pairs of rubber sandals. The sole of each sandal had been hollowed out to hide 50 grams of shabu. The 20 packs they recovered are worth P8 million in the street.

Editha said she did not know there were drugs inside the parcel and she was only asked to claim it, she brought her daughter along with her because she does not know how to use her cellular phone. She said someone sent her a message with the tracking number of the parcel for her to claim.

She appealed to the agents to release her daughter since she was not directly involved in the transaction. She added that she is willing to go to jail but asked them to pity her daughter because she had just given birth and her baby will not get to experience the care of her mother if she goes to jail.

She also claimed she does not know who her contact is and to whom she was to give the parcel to after claiming it.

Editha, a laundrywoman, and her daughter are set to face a charge for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.  — with Samuelle Joyrin C. Caing /BRP (FREEMAN)