Fil-Turkish nabbed for drugs; none hurt in Iloilo grenade blast

CEBU, Philippines - A suspected drug trader was arrested in a buy-bust operation of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-6 Saturday in Kalibo, Aklan.

PDEA-6 director Paul Ledesma identified the suspect as Zaidy Elias, a 32-year-old half-Turkish and half-Filipino Muslim man who hails from Cagayan De Oro City but is now living in Marawi City.

PDEA agents arrested the suspect in a restaurant in front of a bus terminal and recovered around 50 grams of suspected shabu wrapped in a carbon paper.

Ledesma estimated the shabu's street value at P300,000. The transaction between Elias and the PDEA started in Cavite province and both agreed to meet up in Kalibo town.

PDEA authorities also revealed that Elias was the supplier of former Barangay Captain John John Roberto of Tanza Timawa Zone II, City Proper, Iloilo City.

Roberto, whose father is now the barangay captain of the area, was arrested with suspected shabu worth P120,000 and P2,000 marked money.

Police and PDEA considered Roberto a high-value target. Aside from Roberto, information said other known drug personalities in Panay Island also got their supply from Elias.

But the arrested Muslim trader has not gone to Iloilo but, instead, wait for his clients to pick-up their supply in Kalibo.

Showroom blast

Meanwhile, no one was injured when a grenade was lobbed at the display center of Toyota Cars - Iloilo at B. Aquino Avenue, Mandurriao, Iloilo City.

There was also no witness who could point out who hurled the grenade at 2 a.m. yesterday.

Senior Superintendent Ruperto Floro, Iloilo City police chief, said there was no indication that the assailant wanted to inflict injury or sow damage to properties in the area."It's more of a threat," he said.

However, he did not elaborate further on the motive of the incident except that "we are verifying a lead but we can't make it public as of now." Floro said he already talked to Roberto Uy, the owner of Toyota Cars - Iloilo, and the latter attested to have received no threats.

Investigation revealed a lone set of foot prints near the river, where the satellite display center (the main showroom is at Jaro district) is located.

The suspect hurled the grenade to an area far from where the two guards are stationed and from the rows of displayed vehicles.

The guards, who were posted near the main entrance of the showroom, immediately sought cover and did not see who was responsible for the explosion.The blast damaged a 2014 Toyota Vios after explosion debris hit and cracked the windshield and had the right front door dented.

The damaged car was parked around 11 meters from the crater blast. Several meters from where the set of foot prints were found, police also recovered the grenade's safety lever.Floro said the suspect could have made his way by paddling through the river.

 Investigators are not discounting that the grenade-thrower has a companion who opted to stay at the river.  (FREEMAN)