Police raid nets large shabu haul on Boracay

ILOILO CITY — The police on Tuesday confiscated a large volume of methamphetamine hydrochloride or “shabu” estimated to be worth P250,000 on Boracay Island, one of the biggest drug busts in Western Visayas in recent years.

A police team composed of officers from the Special Operations Group, the provincial intelligence branch and the Boracay Tourist Assistance Center, the island’s police force, arrested alleged drug pusher Sergio Santiago inside a boarding house in barangay Manoc-Manoc, according to a statement issued by the Aklan Provincial Police Office.

Santiago, 34, a resident of Pasay City temporarily staying in barangay Manoc-Manoc, was arrested after he allegedly handed a plastic sachet of shabu to a police officer posing as buyer in exchange for P1,000.

The policemen subsequently recovered from the suspect 19 sealed plastic sachets of shabu, 25 empty plastic sachets, cash amounting to P2,350 and drug paraphernalia.

Santiago’s arrest came after a month-long surveillance on his movements on the island, according to Senior Supt. Pedrito M. Escarilla, acting Aklan police director.

The suspect was taken to the police station in the capital town of Kalibo pending the filing of criminal charges while the seized illegal drugs were forwarded to the Aklan provincial crime laboratory for examination.

Santiago faces criminal charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, according to the police statement.

Boracay is among the places closely watched by anti-narcotics authorities because of the large number of fun-seeking foreign and domestic tourists going to the island. /INQUIRER