Suspected cocaine seized in Cebu buy-bust; seller evades arrest

CEBU CITY, Philippines—The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Naval Forces Central (Navforcen) recovered a brick of suspected cocaine from a courier who eluded arrest during a buy-bust operation in Barangay (village) Labangon, this city, Monday afternoon.

Levi Ortiz, deputy regional director of PDEA Central Visayas, said the joint PDEA-Navforcen team confiscated the brick of suspected cocaine from an alleged drug courier identified as a certain “Yogan.”

When they met at the designated place at about 2 p.m. Monday, “Yogan” turned over the brick of suspected narcotics to a PDEA agent posing as a buyer and was about to receive the payment when the agent informed him that he was under arrest, Ortiz said. “Yogan” then ran away, eluding arrest, he added.

Ortiz estimated that the suspected cocaine would cost P5 million.

Ensign Joseph Ison of Navforcen said their asset received an inquiry from Samar asking if the asset knew of someone who would buy cocaine.

Navforcen then coordinated with the PDEA and both agencies staged the buy-bust operation.

During the transaction with the alleged owner of the brick via cellular phone, both parties agreed on P200,000 as the price of the cocaine.

Based on their report, Ortiz said the courier arrived in Cebu Sunday morning bringing the brick of cocaine.

He said the PDEA would be filing charges for violation of the Republic Act 6425 or Dangerous Drugs Act of 1972 against “Yogan” and the “owner” of the brick of alleged cocaine.

The confiscated cocaine is believed to be part of the shipment of the illegal drugs dumped off Samar in December 2009.