LUCENA CITY – Police arrested seven suspected big-time drug traffickers and seized from them P500,000 worth of “shabu” (crystal meth) in a buy-bust operation in Pagbilao town in Quezon province early Tuesday, police said.
Senior Supt. Osmundo de Guzman, Quezon police chief, said anti-illegal drugs operatives, collared the suspects after they sold shabu to a police informant and an undercover police in one of the rooms of a hotel in Barangay Alupaye around 5:30 a.m.
The suspects were identified as Rexon Balingasa, Joseph Puche, Cristy Ann Salamanque, from Biñan, Laguna, and their associates, Aidin Guiali, Jonathan Oga, Sarah Alag, Reyha Oga from Taguig City.
Authorities seized 101 grams of shabu worth P188,219 per Dangerous Drugs Board valuation and P500,000 in the street market.
The police also caught three of the suspects while engaged in a shabu session inside the room and confiscated drug paraphernalia and a digital weighing scale.
The police also seized a sedan believed the suspects use in their distribution of illegal drugs.
Chief Insp. Francisco Panisan, Pagbilao police chief, said their “asset” managed to make contact with the suspects and arranged a big purchase that resulted to their arrest.
“They were big-time distributors of shabu,” Panisan said in a phone interview.
The suspects were detained at the Pagbilao police jail.