CEBU - A woman suspected to be a level 2 drug pusher along with a man, who arranged the transaction, were arrested yesterday afternoon in a drug bust at a mall in Mandaue City.
Taken from them were methampethamine hydrochloride or shabu worth P195,000.
The suspects were identified as Patalinang Munte, 42, a resident of Saduk, Marawi City and Julius Rodriguez, 23, of Villagonzalo, barangay Tejero, Cebu City.
PDEA-7 Director Randy Pedroso personally presented the suspects to Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes and members of the media.
The arrest was a joint effort by the PDEA and the City Anti-Illegal Drugs Operations Task Force of the Mandaue City Police.
Pedroso told Cortes that his men, who posed as buyers contacted Rodriguez, who said that he can deliver a big volume of shabu if the price is good.
Rodriguez assured the poseur buyers that his contact in Mindanao will be able to deliver the drugs and arranged to meet at a restaurant inside the shopping center.
With several agents stationed around the area where the buy bust was to take place, the PDEA used P500 placed on top of paper cut to appear like a bundle of money to transact the deal and made the arrest.
Confiscated from Munte were two medium sized packs of white crystalline substance believed to be shabu.
After the arrest, another medium-sized plastic packet and three smaller sachets with suspected shabu, were also found in the possession of the two suspects together with drug paraphernalia and the money used for the bust.
Mayor Cortes Pedroso that the city government will fully support the PDEA in their campaign against drugs.
PDEA-Mandaue team leader Rey Yap said that Rodriguez served as Munte’s local contact here in Cebu.
She personally came to Cebu from Marawi City to deliver the drugs due to the big volume. — Jose Sollano and Flor Perolina/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)