Senior Superintendent Nicasio Radovan Jr., head of the Metro Manila Drug Enforcement Group (MMDEG) identified them as Pedro Cupcupin, alias Peter, 39, of 5 M. Aquino St., Barangay Niogan and Vladimir Muas, 25, of 43 A. Bonifacio St., Barangay Tugatog. Radovan said Cupcupin and Muas were arrested by a MMDEG team headed by Inspector Eduardo Palisoc at about 11 p.m. Sunday in a house in Barangay Niogan.
Palisoc was dispatched to the area amid complaints by residents of Barangay Niogan that he was the source of shabu and other prohibited drugs in their neighborhood.
Radovan said Cupcupin and Muas were arrested right after they handed over several sachets of shabu to a police undercover agent who acted as a buyer.
A succeeding search of Cupcupin’s house yielded 850 grams of shabu, two caliber .45 automatic pistols, a super .38 pistol, a caliber 30 rifle and a caliber .22 revolver.
When presented to Metro Manila police chief Deputy Director General Edgardo Aglipay yesterday, Cupcupin and Muas refused to reveal their source of shabu and firearms. They, however, promised to cooperate in the police investigation of the case. But Radovan theorized that the firearms could have been either pawned by owners to Cupcupin or exchanged for shabu. –Non Alquitran