“Bigtime drug pusher” caught with P1.3M drugs

CEBU, Philippines - Almost P1.3 million worth of suspected shabu was confiscated from a 42-year-old woman who is allegedly the supplier of the 75-year-old woman caught a week ago with over P200,000 worth of drugs.

Jeramie Matugas, an alleged bigtime drug pusher, was caught in the act of repacking suspected shabu inside her room in Barangay Poblacion, Badian, Cebu yesterday morning.

Regional Special Operations Group of the Police Regional Office-7 served the search warrant issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Macaundas Hadjirasul.

During the operation, the raiding team was able to seize from Matugas’ possession four big, one medium and 125 small packs of suspected shabu. All illegal drugs weighed at least 107 grams amounting to P1,262,600, according to the Dangerous Drugs Board value.

In an interview, Matugas said she engaged in illegal drugs starting November last year to sustain the needs of her five children since she has been separated from her husband 10 years ago.

Matugas said her new live-in-partner promised to support the needs of her children, including one who is his biological child.

However, she said she does not want her live-in-partner to provide for the needs of her other four children.

Matugas disclosed that she was the one who supplied illegal drugs to the 75-year-old woman, who was arrested by the operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-7 last week for selling illegal drugs.

Beatriz Secretaria, 75, was arrested in Sitio Cambuntan, Barangay Bolinawan, Carcar City last week after she yielded at least P236,000 worth of suspected shabu.

Senior Inspector Romeo Sentinta Jr., the leader of the raiding team, said Matugas is a bigtime drug pusher, whose area of operation includes seven towns in southern Cebu from Carcar City to Badian.

Sentinta said they have placed Matugas under surveillance for the past two weeks before they conducted the operation.

He said Matugas’ customers are mostly drivers from Carcar to Alegria.

Sentinta said Matugas and her family don’t usually mingle with their neighbors in Badian, adding that Matugas pretended to be a collector from a private company to cover up her illegal activities.

Matugas is facing charges for violating the Comprehensive Drugs Act of 2002. — Ma. Fatima R. Secuya/ATO (FREEMAN)