Nigerian, 5 others fall in separate drug busts

CEBU, Philippines - Authorities have scored another major victory in the intensified campaign against illegal drugs.

A Nigerian national, a nursing graduate and four other people were arrested during separate operations by authorities against prohibited drugs Tuesday night.    

The National Bureau of Investigation-7 arrested Nigerian national James Okwudili Uyanneh during a buy-bust operation inside a motel in Mandaue City.

Before his arrest, he has been the subject of surveillance by the NBI for four months.

NBI regional director Antonio Pagatpat said acting as poseur-buyer, lawyer Bernard dela Cruz arrested Uyanneh, 53, right after the transaction.

“At around 9:15 p.m. the subject, James arrived on board a taxicab and there he demanded the counting of money and after having satisfied that much it was handed to him by one of our agents. In return, he handed this cardboard with two big packs of shabu,” he said.

Upon Uyanneh’s instruction, Pagatpat said their agents and the suspect met at a motel near the North Reclamation Area for the transaction.

Dela Cruz said he ordered 70 grams of shabu from Uyanneh worth P350,000. The drug was placed inside a cardboard.

“It used to be covered by curtain (referring to shabu). If ma apprehend siya sa la bas as if he only carrying cardboard wala kang makikitang shabu ganito kagaling ito. Kaya nung binuksan ito na ang laman (referring to curtain),” he said.

Dela Cruz claimed that Uyanneh had been into the illegal drug business for the past years, saying they found out that he has been living in Guadalupe for two years.

“In Guadalupe, the subject was noted for selling illegal drugs,” he said.

Since Uyanneh has been living in Cebu for six years already, dela Cruz said they would coordinate with the immigration bureau whether his stay is still valid.

Syndicate

Pagatpat said they are still investigating whether the suspect was part of a syndicate.

“Titingnan if kabilang ba siya sa syndicate. As of now we are coordinating with NBI Manila kasi in the past may na arrest silang ganito (Nigerian) kong ito ba ay may connection sa grupong nahuli,” he said.

He also said they are still verifying where Uyanneh’s shabu came from although there were cases involving foreigners who slipped illegal drugs into the country.

“It is very alarming na mga ganito, foreigners mismo na nasa sa ating lansangan at ito narin ang nagbebenta ng druga. That’s show how aggressive he is,” he added.

Defense

Uyanneh denied the allegation, saying he was not the owner of the confiscated shabu.

He said he went to the motel for a meeting with a certain Michelle, a text mate, who owed him money. Upon alighting from the taxicab, he saw the NBI agents.

Inside the motel, he said the agents took off his clothes as if they were looking for something.

Uyanneh claimed that he is a member of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and owned the Eco Pacific Global Links Corporation.

His business, he said, includes looking for buyers and sellers of crude oil and linked them together.

But he claimed that they have no transaction yet.

Uyanneh has been staying in Cebu since 2007 after marrying a Filipina. He said they have a five-year-old kid.

Uyanneh said it was the first time that he was arrested.

“In my life it was the first time I have a handcuff on me. I have never committed a crime,” he added.

A charge is set to file today against Uyanneh at Mandaue City Prosecutor’s Office.

Nursing graduate

Meanwhile, police pounced on a 25-year-old nursing graduate for selling illegal drugs during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Mabolo Tuesday night.

Operatives of the City Intelligence Branch (CIB) arrested Ken Kenneth Rosales who yielded several capsules of ecstasy as well as packs of cocaine. The seized drugs amounted to almost P90,000.

Chief Insp. Romeo Santander, chief of CIB, said they placed Rosales under surveillance for one week following a report of his illegal drug trade.

“Siya ra’y mag-deal, siya sad ang mag-arrange sa transaction,” Santander disclosed.

During the operation, a CIB operative posed as the buyer and as soon as the suspect handed him a green capsule believed to be ecstasy in exchange for P1,700, the suspect was immediately arrested.

Seized from the suspect were seven small and six big capsules of suspected ecstasy worth P32,000, and 12 packs of cocaine worth P42,000.

Police also seized from the suspect P21,000 cash, believed to be proceeds from his illegal business.

Rosales has been into the illegal drug trade for over a year now, said Santander.

Santander said the suspect would usually peddle drugs to partygoers and at fitness gyms, selling vitamins as a front.

In fact, Rosales is learning to be a disc jockey in nightclubs, where he could sell drugs to partygoers, Santander disclosed.

The CIB chief said that Rosales revealed the identity of the two persons from whom he gets his supplies of ecstasy and cocaine.

“From Mindanao daw. Ato pang i-validate ang identity anang mga tawhana,” he said, explaining that they are coordinating with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 7 on the case.

Santander said that Rosales appeared to be still high on drugs when they arrested him.

Rosales admitted that he is selling ecstasy and cocaine, saying that a person achieves “super powers” once he takes drugs.

Charges for possessing and selling illegal drugs will be filed against Rosales.

Danao operation

In Danao City, illegal drugs worth almost P300,000 were seized by the operatives of the Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Group (PAIDSOTG) in a buy-bust operation Tuesday evening.

Florita “Puri” Batucan, 58; Mardonia Alvaro, 54; Joselito Avila, 34; and Jasper Alvaro, 29, were arrested during a transaction made in Barangay Poblacion.

Police said Batucan would only engage in bigtime drug transactions.

“Di ni siya makig-transact og gagmay lang...binulto gyud,” said Supt. Rodolfo Albotra, Provincial Intelligence Branch chief.

Illegal activities of the suspects had been monitored by the operatives for a couple of weeks before their arrest past 6 p.m.

Albotra said it was Batucan who personally handed the shabu to the poseur-buyer which resulted to her arrest. The three other suspects who were around during the transaction were also arrested.

 Police recovered nine large packets of shabu worth P225,000, six medium packets of shabu to worth P4,500, a digital weighing scale, two pairs of scissors and several empty packs.

The recovered pieces of evidence were taken to the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory-7 in Camp Sotero Cabahug, Cebu City for chemical analysis.

Albotra said Batucan could dispose of at least 50 grams of shabu in a week.

“Naa man sad ni siya tagakan sa Danao nga mao say mubaligya sa laing lugar possible gawas sa Danao,” he said.

Batucan, Avila and Mardonia were once arrested for drugs.  Their case is still pending in court.

Alvaro is new in the group.

Charges will be filed against the suspects who are temporarily detained at the Consolacion police stockade. — /LPM (FREEMAN)