Drug courier arrested at checkpoint

CEBU, Philippines - About five grams of shabu, with a market value of P40,000, was seized from a man who was supposed to transport it to Daanbantayan town yesterday morning.

Rolando Pepito, 34, married, of sitio Alinsoog in barangay Bagay, Daanbantayan town was apprehended at a checkpoint manned by the police in sitio Capsanan in barangay Casili, a mountain barangay in Mandaue City at around 10:30 a.m. yesterday.

Investigative and Detective Management Bureau (IMBD) deputy chief P/Insp. Ramil Morpos in an interview yesterday said Pepito was traveling on a motorcycle-for-hire driven by Junrey Inso, of legal age, who resides in barangay Yati in Liloan town. 

The police said Pepito negotiated with Inso in barangay Casili.

Morpos said the police theorize that it could not have been the first time Pepito had attempted to bring shabu to Daanbantayan on account of the lack of checkpoints along the way.

Inso was also arrested for wearing slippers, in violation of a city ordinance, but was later released.

Pepito’s unusual behavior at the checkpoint betrayed him, police said.

He is now detained at the Canduman police station pending the filing of charges.