Mining executive falls in P3 million cocaine buy-bust

CEBU, Philippines – Joint operatives of the anti-illegal drugs special operations task force from Manila and Central Visayas seized a kilo of suspected cocaine amounting to P3 million during a buy-bust operation in Cebu City Tuesday afternoon.

Russel Dimaano Rosales, 38, resident of Lipata, Minglanilla, was arrested at the parking lot of a hotel in Barangay Zapatera after he sold a cocaine brick to an undercover policeman.

The cocaine brick has an estimated street value of P2 million to P3 million is believed to be part of the two tons of cocaine shipment thrown off from a Hongkong-bound Chinese vessel and was washed towards the shores of Samar province in December.

The cocaine bricks were believe to have been thrown off by drug syndicate into the Philippine waters after learning that they were being monitored by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (USDEA) and the US Coastguard.

Apparently to avoid being intercepted and apprehended, the suspects who by that time crossed the Pacific Ocean, dumped the contraband.

Deputy regional director for operations Sr. Supt. Louie Oppus said the joint elements of the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (RAIDSOTF) and its national counterpart, NAIDSOTF, arranged a transaction with Rosales.

Oppus said the transaction was originally set in Manila but the suspect was allegedly very clever. Rosales switched the place of transaction thrice before finally agreeing to close the deal in Cebu amounting to P2.1 million.

The police used 'budol' money made of wad of papers and P2,000 marked bills during the transaction. When the suspect handed the brick of cocaine to an undercover policeman, the rest of the police operatives prepositioned in the area immediately rush to arrest him.

Rosales did not resist arrest and reportedly admitted to the police that he got his supply of cocaine from Ormoc City in Leyte. The police also seized from Rosales his Toyota Fortuner, wallet containing P890 cash and several bank documents showing that he is a mining firm executive.

The suspected cocaine was turned over to the PNP Crime Laboratory 7 for chemical analysis. Charges for selling illegal drugs in violation of Section 5 of the Republic Act 9165 otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act will be filed against Rosales. (FREEMAN)