P200-M ‘shabu’ in 2 ‘bayongs’
Police said they seized P200-million worth of high-grade “shabu” and arrested four suspected drug traffickers in a buy bust operation in Quezon City Monday.
Quezon City Police District (QCPD) operatives said they found 39.5 kilos of the drugs in two red “bayongs” (native bags) hidden in a gray sedan.
“The shabu that was seized were high-grade. It looked like crystals but it easily crumbled when pinched,” said QCPD director Senior Supt. Richard Albano.
Investigators identified those arrested as Mark Sy Hue, 39, of Sta. Cruz, Manila; Honorio Lo Pontigonon, 39, of Sta. Mesa, Manila; Crisologo Puzon, 40, of Las Piñas City; and James Rosales, 26, of Quezon City.
Police said the seized drugs were valued at around P200 million, based on the street value of one kilogram at P5 million.
Authorities also confiscated a black Honda Civic with license plate UUY-425 and a grey Mitsubishi Lancer with license plate UTE-886 which the suspects allegedly used in their dealings.
Poseur buyer
The four men were arrested early Monday morning after a three-month surveillance of the District Anti-Illegal Drugs (DAID)-Special Operations Task Group led by Senior Insp. Roberto Razon.
First to be arrested were Hue and Puzon at around 4:30 a.m. at the corner of Banawe Avenue and Makaturing Street in Barangay (village) Manresa, La Loma.
Razon said an undercover policeman posed as a buyer and arranged a meeting with Hue and Puzon, who came in the Honda Civic.
A test buy resulted in the recovery of half a kilo of shabu, wrapped in red gift wrapper.
After the first arrest, the two suspects arranged another meeting with their cohorts Pontigonon and Rosales at about 7:30 a.m. in front of a Starbucks branch along Banawe Avenue.
Police swooped on the suspects’ Mitsubishi Lancer, which yielded 39 pieces of ziplock plastic bags, which reportedly contained a kilogram of shabu each. The ziplock bags were in two red “bayongs” inside the car.
Albano revealed that the cars are now part of the purchase in illegal drug transactions.
After the shabu is inspected and the cash is handed to the supplier, the buyer drives away with the vehicle containing the shabu, the police officer said.
“This is a new modus operandi of drug syndicates, since the shabu is no longer brought out during the transaction,” Albano said.
The DAID is still investigating the source of the suspects’ contraband.
