Supplier of drugs to BPO workers falls

CEBU, Philippines - Close to P200,000 worth of suspected shabu was confiscated yesterday dawn during a buy-bust operation against a man who allegedly sells drugs to call center agents in Barangay Apas, Cebu City.

Police were able to trap suspected Level 2 drug peddler Octavio Cabucos Jr., 38, and his alleged right hand, Renato Ochea, 45, in a buy-bust operation in Purok 6, Sitio San Miguel.

The operation was carried out after the police received reports of Cabucos' illegal activity, according to Senior Inspector Joey Bicoy of the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group-7. The police received the same information twice.

After validating such reports, a police poseur-buyer bought a pack of suspected shabu worth P500 from Cabucos at 2:15 a.m. yesterday, and right after he handed the pack over to the decoy, he was immediately placed under arrest.

The police also noticed that Ochea was in Cabucos' house so he was placed under police custody. When authorities frisked Ochea, they found and confiscated two small sachets and a medium pack of suspected shabu from his pocket.

A black pouch containing three small sachets and two medium packs of suspected shabu and P700 cash were separately confiscated from Cabucos.

Bicoy said Cabucos' "clients" are mostly business process outsourcing (BPO) workers and lodgers around Sitio San Miguel.

He reportedly operates a "kubol-kubol" that has a signaling device made out of a tin can tied with a string like the traditional toy telephone. The would-be customer then pulls the string, signaling his intent to buy shabu, and the suspect then hands out the drugs.

Cabucos' operation even extends all the way to Consolacion town, police said.

Separately, however, Cabucos told The FREEMAN that the police did not get anything from him, and denied owning the confiscated drugs, though he admitted that "someone" would provide him shabu which he disposes to get a commission of P50 for every small sachet sold.

He also said he does not have a job to sustain the needs of his family, something denied by Bicoy who said Cabucos' wife already asked him to stop his illegal business, but the latter would not reportedly listen to her.

Ochea also denied owning the confiscated drugs, only saying he was asked to sell it on commission basis to support his mother in Cebu and his family in Negros.

Bicoy said Cabucos will be charged for sale and possession of illegal drugs while Ochea will be charged for possession of illegal drugs, a violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. —(FREEMAN)