Brunei-bound OFW nabbed in shabu raid

A Brunei-bound male contract worker landed instead in jail after several pieces of packed shabu was discovered in his room at a lodging inn in Quiapo, Manila in a raid by anti-narcotics operatives of the Western Police District before noon yesterday.

Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force head Superintendent Marcelino Pedrozo identified the suspect as Abdullah Mala, 30, single, an Iranon, of Pasig City. He was temporarily billetted at Room 106 of the Greenland Lodge located at the corner of Bautista and Norzagaray streets in Quiapo. He is scheduled to leave for Brunei on Wednesday as a gardener at the prince palace.

Investigator PO3 Roy Velano said police anti-narcotics team swooped down on the Greenland Lodge at about 11:45 p.m. to serve a warrant of arrest to a certain Aileen Baulo issued by Judge Enrico Lanzares of Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 7.

Velano said Baulo had been verified as the source of illegal drugs in Quiapo after undercover policemen managed to buy shabu from her one day before the raid. The police also has information that the subject drug pusher is renting two rooms at the Greenland Lodge, with one room being used as stockroom of pirated video compact discs.

However, when police raided Rooms 106 and 107 of the inn, the alleged female drug pusher was already gone. Instead, police found Mala sleeping in Room 106.

The search of the room yielded some 50 grams of packed shabu hidden under the bed. Mala denied owning the prohibited drugs.

Mala told reporters that he had been renting the room since Feb. 11 while following up on his travel papers. He is supposed to leave for Brunei on Wednesday. He absolved the raiding team of alleged "planting" of evidence, saying he was present inside the room when the search was being conducted.

Charges of illegal possession of prohibited drugs are now being prepared against Mala.