CEBU, Philippines - Police arrested yesterday in a buy-bust operation a man with two huge packs of shabu in Toledo City.
But the apprehended suspect was in fact just the cohort of the suspected drug pusher who the police intended to arrest during the buy-bust operation.
Michael Okan, 24, was caught by operatives of the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group (RAIDSOTG) 7 in Barangay Poog at 4:30 p.m.
RAIDSOTG personnel proceeded to the area to supposedly arrest Cristianiño Trazona, reportedly a level two drug pusher.
However, Trazona escaped the operation and the law enforcers instead captured Okan who handed over a big pack of shabu worth P100,000 to the police decoy who acted as the poseur-buyer.
Police frisked Okan and further seized from him the same huge pack of suspected shabu worth another P100,000.
The wad of papers used as the boodle money, topped with a genuine P500 bill, was also confiscated from Okan's possession.
Police tried to locate Trazona in his house, but apparently sensed that they were dealing with law enforcers and escaped.
"Dili g'yud ni siya ang muatubang sa buyer, si Okan pirmi ang muatubang," said RAISOTG chief Hendrix Bancoleta.
Bancoleta said that Trazona, a level two drug pusher, can dispose at least P200,000 worth of shabu in a week. The suspect's area of distribution, he said, includes Toledo City, Naga City and the town of Minglanilla.
Bancoleta said Toledo City seems to still be infested with drugs. Earlier this week, a woman was also arrested after she yielded six packs or P40,000 worth of shabu.
Last August, Toledo City Mayor Sonny Osmeña reported that the city is already drug-free.
Charges for selling and for possession of illegal drugs will be filed against Okan tomorrow while police continue to look for Trazona, whom they believe is hiding at a cave in Poog. (FREEMAN)