P3.5M shabu seized in Negros Oriental

CEBU, Philippines – Anti-illegal drugs operatives, with the help of K-9 dogs, intercepted a shabu shipment, worth P3.5 million, which arrived on a chartered plane from Manila at the Dumaguete-Sibulan Airport.

The shipment was detected by members of the Avsecom Security Group men who immediately coordinated with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, the National Bureau of Investigation, the Dumaguete City Police, and other law enforcement units.

All the anti-illegal drugs units were closely watching the shipment since it arrived on Sunday until late afternoon yesterday when it was claimed by the consignee identified as Josephine Bantilan Cabasag, resident of Barangay Taclobo in Dumaguete City.

The 46-year-old Cabasag was a live-in partner of the late Bobby Artus who was gunned down few months ago by unidentified assailants.

After Cabasag brought the illegal items with her, a team of operatives conducted a buy-bust operation at Purok Kalubihan in Barangay Daro, this city, resulting in her arrest before the shabu could even be distributed to the market.

The operatives consisted of PDEA-7 agents, headed by Regional Director Jeffrey Bangsa; Dumaguete City Police led by Superintendent Jovito Atanacio under the supervision of Senior Supt. Dionardo Carlos of the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office; Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs-Special Operations Task Group under Senior Inspector Ryan Jay Orapa; Provincial Intelligence Branch-Special Operations Group led by Chief Inspector Benedict Poblete; and NBI agents headed by Domingo Cimafranca.

Aside from the subject of the buy-bust operation—a bulto of shabu weighing five grams — the operatives also confiscated 19 bultos of shabu weighing five grams; and eight more bultos of shabu weighing 25 grams, all of which were inside a sling bag of the suspect. The seized shabu weighed a total of 300 grams and valued at an estimated P3.5 million, authorities said.

Cabasag, in an interview with the media, admitted the shipment was intended for her per instructions of a couple, a certain “Menang” whose husband “Gargar” is jailed at the National Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.

The suspect also claimed she refused to be the consignee of the shipment after what happened to her live-in partner but the younger brother of the latter gave her cellphone number to “Menang” who in turn contacted her about the shipment.

Bangsa said close coordination among law enforcement units has been imperative to track down the flow of the drugs because syndicates have managed to compartmentalized their operations, in which even members of the organized group themselves are not known to each other although they are remitting to one group through a local bank every Monday or Friday.

Bangsa also said yesterday’s operation further confirmed that drug personalities inside the NBP have been controlling the distribution of illegal drugs around the country, and had been maintaining hitmen to run after members who fail to remit proceeds from the sales.  of the drugs everywhere in the country.

Based on initial investigation, Cabasag belongs to a bigger group and has been deemed a level-2 drug personality who can dispose a minimum of 200 grams of shabu per week, Bangsa said.