Authorities freeze P20 million property of drug suspect

CEBU, Philippines — Authorities have served the freeze order against the property of a detained drug personality in a subdivision in Cubacub, Mandaue City yesterday.

Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Debold Sinas along with the officials of the Police Regional Office 7 and Anti-Money Laundering Council have served the freeze order against the property of Charlie Duhaylungsod Fortuna.

On February 8, 2019, a joint buy-bust operation by the PNP and PRO-7 in the said property led to the seizure of seven kilos of shabu with an estimated value of P47.7 million and other pieces of evidence.

The police have also recovered financial documents including deposit slips, passbooks, and remittance slips inside the house believed to be used as a financial system by Fortuna to launder proceeds of the sale of shabu.

The seizure prompted the police to file criminal charges against the suspect for illegal drugs and forwarded the matter to AMLC which immediately conducted a financial investigation.

In the investigation, it was found out that Fortuna has at least 10 bank accounts deemed related to his drug trafficking activities as well as two real properties, one of which is located in Ozamiz City.

Initially, this frozen property was allegedly purchased by his aunt identified as Juby Duhaylungsod but later found out it was actually owned by Fortuna, who is currently detained at Mandaue City Jail.

"Ito po yung kino-consider ng AMLC, because of our case fi-niled sa kanya for possession and pushing of shabu, it was determined na itong lugar na to, itong bahay nato, was the proof of his illegal activities and it should be frozen and later on, on the process for confiscation and declaring it in the government," said Sinas.

Mel Georgie Racela, executive director of AMLC, disclosed that the property is just one of the properties acquired by Fortuna which was bought in the year 2017 through cash amounting to P14 million.

Racela stressed that the current value of the property is pegged at P20 million.

He said AMLC will apply for a civil forfeiture case of the property in favor of the government on or before the six-month period before the freeze order ends.

"Tapos po tuloy pa rin ang imbestigasyon natin at magpa- file din kami ng money laundering case dahil na file na rin po yung drug trafficking case sa AMLC," he added.

Racela said that Fortuna's assets in Ozamiz City including his bank accounts with around P3 million deposits have been frozen already.

Considering that Fortuna belonged to a big drug group based in Ozamiz City, police did not discount the possibility that it was the Parojinog group.

"This will the good partnership in informing the public that the joint investigation between the PNP and AMLC ay hindi lang po mga shabu pati na rin ang mga assets nila ay hahabulin napo natin through the help of AMLC," said Sinas. — GMR (FREEMAN)