P2M worth of shabu seized in drug bust

CEBU, Philippines - The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Region 6 seized P2 million worth of shabu in an anti-drug operation in Oton town of Iloilo Wednesday evening.

PDEA operatives, assisted by Oton Police Station, collared suspects Orestes Estribor, 37, and Christian Morin, 18, both of Poblacion West, also of Oton.

According to PDEA-6 Regional Director Paul Ledesma, an informant tipped the agency of a shipment from Manila to Iloilo. Estribor was later identified as the alleged shabu courier.

An operation was immediately launched until Estribor agreed to meet up with a poseur buyer at a restaurant in Barangay Botong of Oton, said Ledesma.

Confiscated from the suspects were eight sachets of shabu, weighing 235.6 grams with an estimated street value of P2,002,600. A weighing scale was also taken from their possession.

Estribor however denied allegation that he was peddling illegal drugs. He insisted of having no knowledge of being in possession of a big volume of shabu, and told reporters that he just came from Manila to get some fighting cocks to sell in Oton.

When his friend, a certain Jun Tauro from Brgy. Calam-isan of Oton, knew that he was coming home, the latter asked if  he could bring an envelope which would be picked up in the area and that was where they were arrested.

Prior to his arrest, Estribor said he had no idea that he was carrying an envelope with a shabu in it. But later during the interview, the suspect slipped and squealed that the shabu was supposedly intended to be peddled in Palawan.

On the other hand, the local police said that Estribor was not on their watchlist of  illegal drug personalities operating in Oton or the nearby municipalities. Reports pointed that Estribor and his group are operating in another province.  (FREEMAN)