Fish vendors’ arrest yields over P500,000 worth of shabu in Lucena

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LUCENA CITY — Police anti-narcotics operatives arrested two fish vendors in this city who were allegedly engaging in drug pushing.

They were apprehended in a buy-bust operation on Saturday, July 27.

The operation yielded more than P500,000 worth of shabu (crystal meth), Colonel Ledon Monte, Quezon police chief, said in a report on Sunday, July 28.

Monte said members of the provincial drug enforcement unit collared “Eric,”49, and “Leira,” 44, after they sold P1,000 worth of shabu to an undercover cop in Barangay (village) Ibabang Dupay around 10:20 p.m.

Authorities confiscated from the suspects a total of six plastic sachets of meth weighing 27 grams with an estimated Dangerous Drugs Board value of P183,600.

The seized shabu is worth over P550,800 in the street market at the prevailing price of P20,400 per gram, according to the police.

Police said Eric sells “tinapa,” a native smoked-fish, while Leira offers fresh fish as a  front to their alleged illegal drug activities.

Both of them are residents of neighboring Barangay Market View.

Authorities are investigating the source of the illegal drugs reportedly being peddled by the suspects.

Both of them were detained and are facing charges for violating Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.