NBI agents confiscate P2-M shabu in Cebu

CEBU CITY — Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) seized the other day a kilo of shabu worth at least P2 million in what observers believe could be both a disturbing and encouraging development.

The seizure is disturbing because the illegal drug was seized from a man from Marawi City, just as he arrived in Cebu, raising the possibility that drugs from Mindanao may be penetrating the province in large quantities.

But the seizure, observers said, may also be encouraging because it was largely a product of a tip coursed through "Operation Private Eye," which was set up primarily to provide a conduit for information about crimes from people who prefer to remain anonymous for safety reasons.

The shabu haul, the biggest so far by law enforcers here this year, was also the biggest success story of Operation Private Eye, which heretofore could account only for negligible successes.

The seizure by the NBI agents came after the arrest of Marawi native Mangurum Cramil as he disembarked from a ship from Iligan City Saturday morning.

Senior Superintendent Robelito Comilang got a tip four days ago that a courier from Iligan City would deliver a fairly large quantity of shabu.

The informant, who identified himself only as Abu, identified Cramil as the supposed courier.

Abu said Cramil would be taking the shabu to Cebu anytime between Nov. 28 and 30.

Comilang then coordinated with NBI regional director Romulo Manapsal who, in turn, fielded his men for the mission.

NBI spokesman Lito Magno said their agents were able to confirm from their own sources that a man named Cramil had, indeed, boarded a ship from Iligan City and was scheduled to arrive at Pier 4 here Saturday morning.

Magno did not describe how the arrest was conducted, saying only that Cramil was arrested shortly after disembarking from the ship.

Cramil, 28, was carrying a blue plastic container which when opened revealed nothing but a few clothes. But after a more careful scrutiny, the NBI agents noticed a compartment locked by screws in the container where nine packs of shabu were hidden.

Cramil denied any knowledge about the drugs, claiming that a female neighbor of his in Barangay Malaot, Marawi City brought them to his house Friday night just before he left.

He said the woman had inquired when he was to leave for Cebu and that after he gave her the date, she came back to give him the container with instructions to give it to someone who would be meeting him in Cebu.

He said he did not ask about the container’s contents. — Freeman News Service