Ebdane cousin, 2 pals busted in shabu raids

Police have arrested three suspected drug pushers, one of them a cousin of Philippine National Police chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane.

Oliver Ebdane, said to be a distant cousin of Ebdane, was arrested with Godofredo Siochi late Tuesday, the police said.

The police chief immediately ordered charges filed against the two.

The suspects were arrested after police posing as buyers stormed a house used in drug deals.

Police also seized methamphetamine hydrochloride, also known as shabu, assorted weapons and ammunition.

The third suspected pusher, Adang Adtasani, was arrested by Aviation police at the Manila Domestic Airport at dawn yesterday after a small quantity of shabu with a street value of P280,000 was found on her, police said.

President Arroyo has vowed to break the back of criminal gangs, especially drug syndicates and kidnap-for-ransom groups, blamed for giving the Philippines a bad image abroad. – Jaime Laude, AFP