Over P1M worth of shabu, marijuana seized in Baguio, Benguet stings

BAGUIO CITY — More than a million worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) and marijuana were seized during separate big-time sting operations conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation-Cordillera, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and local policemen in Baguio City and Benguet since Tuesday night.

Alleged big-time drug supplier Anthony Rapanut, 39, who hails from Barangay Irisan, Baguio, was cornered by NBI-Cordillera agents aided by PDEA-Cordillera and local policemen at a hotel along Legarda Road in Baguio City when he handed out 50 grams of shabu to a government informant.

When frisked, authorities found several other sachets of shabu from Rapanut. These include a caliber 22 revolver loaded with two bullets from his jacket.  A caliber 45 pistol with 7 bullets were also found concealed in his motorcycle.

NBI-Cordillera said a total of 63 grams of shabu worth P440,000 were confiscated from Rapanut, who begged off to issue any statement to journalists.

Several hours before Rapanut was caught, Carry Obregon and Arries Orbeso, both from Metro Manila, were arrested after they reportedly handed over 12 sachets of shabu (total of 42 grams) to their supposed buyer, who turned out to be an undercover cop, in Purok 13, Cypress, also in Barangay Irisan. This occurred at at around 10 p.m. on Wednesday. 

On Tuesday night, two alleged street-level drug personalities also fell into a sting laid out by local policemen and PDEA-Cordillera operatives in sitio Lamtang, Barangay Puguis, La Trinidad, Benguet. 

Cordillera police director Brig. Gen. David Peredo said a 28-year-old male and a 26-year-old male, both from Kayapa, Bakun, Benguet, sold two bricks and two round packs of suspected dried marijuana leaves weighing more or less 4,000 grams with a standard drug price of P480,000 to an undercover operative.