Inmates caught sniffing shabu

Five inmates of the Pasay City jail were caught Tuesday night holding a shabu session in the comfort room of their cell.

Police identified them as Arnulfo Gayo, Jerry Morales, Danilo Ratab, Renato Canillas, and Efren Velasco. Gayo is in jail facing murder charges, Morales for kidnapping for ransom, Ratab for theft, Canillas for violation of the Dangerous Drugs Act, and Velasco for robbery with homicide.

The alleged shabu session occurred less than two weeks after a woman was caught trying to sneak in suspected metamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, into the city jail.

Investigation showed that the inmates were arrested at around 6:15 p.m. after an informant alerted Senior Jail Officer 1 Ramon Carolino that "something illegal was transpiring inside the comfort room of cell number 8." From the fourth floor catwalk beside the cell, Carolino peeped and saw the inmates in a huddle inside the comfort room

Carolino and JO1 Ariel Legaspi caught the inmates sniffing shabu. Two used pieces of aluminum foil with the residue of shabu were confiscated from Ratab and Velasco; two lighters from Gayo and Morales; and an improvised tooter from Canillas. The suspects are confined in their cell and appropriate charges have been filed against them.

Senior Inspector Greg Sibug, deputy jail warden and concurrent head of operations, admitted in a telephone interview with The STAR that it is difficult to control the illegal drug supply in the city jail. – Nikko Dizon