Ex-mayor nabbed in Cagayan drug raid

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines – A former mayor was arrested and drums of a chemical used to make shabu, along with several firearms, were seized in a series of raids by police operatives and agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Cagayan on Thursday.

Orlino Agatep Sr., former Lasam town mayor and election registrar of Tuguegarao, allegedly owns the drug laboratory where the chemical was seized, said PDEA regional director Juvenal Azurin.

Benjamin Chua, the owner of a warehouse in Barangay Newagac in Gattaran town, which also yielded chemicals, was also arrested, along with two of his alleged cohorts, Nelson  Millare and George Cortez.

Cagayan Valley police director Chief Superintendent Miguel Laurel said three 9mm pistols, a 12-gauge shotgun and a .357 Magnum revolver were also seized when they searched Agatep’s house.

Laurel said the seven drums of ephedrine seized during the raid could be processed into 700 kilos of shabu with an estimated street value of P3.5 billion.

He said an inventory of the chemicals and other drug processing equipment is underway.