Drug pusher nabbed in buy-bust

CEBU, Philippines - A self-confessed drug pusher was arrested by police after he yielded 40 sachets of shabu in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Sambag Dos yesterday dawn.

Suspect Juanito Abellana was arrested by operatives from the City Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group (CAIDSOTG) as soon as he handed over a pack of shabu to a poseur-buyer.

SPO1 Rolando Banatasa of CAIDSOTG said they placed Abellana under surveillance for two weeks to validate the information they earlier received that the suspect sells shabu in the barangay and in neighboring areas.

After confirming the reports, Banatasa said they pretended to buy a pack of shabu worth P200 from Abellana and had the supposed transaction in Sitio Palsy at past 1am.

The suspect reportedly handed over the pack of shabu to a police decoy and was arrested after receiving the marked money.

Banatasa described Abellana as a level three street pusher who can dispose at least P25,000 worth of shabu a day.

Abellana, when sought for comment, admitted the crime, saying he was forced to engage in the illegal activity to fully support his three children who are attending school since they are very poor.

The suspect said he has been into the illegal drug trade just recently and would earn P500 to P1,000 as share every day. He refused to tell though where he gets the drugs.

The suspect yielded 39 other sachets of shabu, which amounted to some P10,000. P800 cash believed to be proceeds from his previous drug transactions that day were seized from him.  (FREEMAN)