3 suspects yield P2.3-M shabu in Batangas City buy-busts

INQUIRER FILES

LUCENA CITY, Philippines – Police anti-narcotics operatives in Batangas City arrested three “high-value” drug suspects and seized more than P2.3 million worth of shabu (crystal meth) in buy-bust operations on Sunday, June 15.

In a report on Monday, the Calabarzon Police Regional Office (PRO 4A) police said that city police drug enforcers collared “Jomel Ryan” and “Joven” after they sold P35,000 worth of shabu to a poseur buyer in Barangay Bolbok around 10:47 p.m.

The police confiscated seven knot-tied plastics containing suspected shabu weighing 245 grams with a standard Dangerous Drugs Board value of P1,666,000 at P6,800 per gram.

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Also confiscated was a motorcycle believed to have been used by the suspects in their alleged illegal business.

The report tagged the two arrested suspects as high-value individuals (HVI) in the illegal drug trade.

The HVI designation applies to financiers, traffickers, manufacturers, and importers of illegal drugs, as well as leaders or members of drug syndicates.

Earlier, the same police team also nabbed “Cristene” in another drug sting in Barangay Calicanto at 6:59 p.m.

The suspect, also an HVI, was caught in alleged possession of one heat sealed plastic sachet and one knot-tied plastic containing suspected meth weighing 100 grams worth P680,000.

Batangas City police are conducting further investigations to identify the source of the illegal drugs.

The suspects are detained and face charges of violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. /atm