Lead prober in PDEA shabu theft arrested

The investigation into the theft of seven kilos of shabu from the evidence room of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) could have been jeopardized if not for the timely arrest of the lead investigator.

PDEA Director General Dionisio Santiago announced yesterday the arrest SPO4 Glenn Logan, chief of the PDEA Internal Affairs Service (IAS).

The arrest was made by virtue of search warrant issued by Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 33 Judge Reynaldo Ros on reports that the officer was engaged in the sale of illegal drugs.

Dionisio noted Logan was the lead investigator in the break-in at the agency’s evidence storage room last Aug. 21. Some seven kilograms of high-grade shabu were stolen by Superintendent Jerome Mutia and Superintendent Gustavo Torres, former PDEA Special Enforcement Services chief and former Administration and Human Resource Department chief, respectively.

"Malungkot, but we have to do this. We can’t really perform our jobs very well kung mayroon tayong mga tao na ginagawa ang contrary sa mission ng PDEA," a visibly irked Dionisio said. "Patibayan ng sikmura sa trabahong ito. Kapag mahina ang dibdib mo dito, we are all vulnerable to corruption. This is a learning experience for everybody."

Operatives of PDEA and the Rizal Provincial Police Office, headed by Senior Superintendent Freddie Panen, arrested Logan at around 10:30 p.m. last Saturday at his house on National Road, Barangay Pantok, Binangonan, Rizal.

During a press conference yesterday, Santiago announced the arrest of Logan and seizure of two plastic packets containing 10 grams of shabu from the suspect as well as other equipment, including a weighing scale used in the sale of the illegal drugs.

Santiago said the arrest was the result of three weeks of surveillance operations against Logan.

The PDEA chief said he is saddened by the incident, considering that Logan was among the more promising operatives of the agency.

"He (Logan) was a very good worker and he had potential," Santiago said.

He said that because of the incident, officials and agents of the PDEA have learned to expect the unexpected.

Logan’s wife, Mercedes, has also been taken into custody.

The couple faces charges of violation of Section 28 of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

PDEA spokesman Superintendent Francisco Gabriel said PDEA is now looking into the possibility that Logan may have been in cahoots with the ex-agency officials tagged in the theft of seven kilos of shabu and may have even sold some of the stolen drugs.

Of the seven kilos of high-grade shabu stolen from PDEA headquarters, only 125 grams have been accounted for.

The said amount was seized from Mutia at the time of his arrest.

Torres remains at large.