10 cops in P6.7 billion shabu under custody

MANILA, Philippines — Ten of the 29 active and former police officers who were ordered arrested over the alleged staged seizure of 990 kilos of shabu worth P6.7 billion in Tondo, Manila in 2022 are under custody, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported yesterday.

Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo, concurrent PNP spokesperson and Central Luzon police director, said the officers consist of a lieutenant colonel, a major, a captain and a lieutenant. The others are an executive master sergeant, a senior master sergeant and four patrolmen.

Fajardo said nine were arrested while one voluntarily surrendered. Eight are still on active police duty and two have retired.

Four of them are in the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

The other six are with other police units.

Judge Gywn Calina of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 44 ordered the arrest of the police officers and set their bail at P200,000 each.

The PNP earlier formed a task force to apprehend the police officers.

Fajardo urged the other police personnel involved in the illegal drug trade to surrender and face the cases in court instead of hiding.

“They will be given due process to present their evidence,” she said.

Of the suspects, 20 are still on active duty while the others have either retired, resigned or been dismissed from the police service.