2 arrested for selling shabu to undercover cops

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Two men were arrested early Saturday for allegedly attempting to sell a kilo of shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) to undercover anti-narcotics policemen in Quezon City.

Henry Atilano, 50 and Larex Pepino, 34, both of Pulang Lupa in Las Piñas City, were collared as they handed over the drugs to lawmen at a dimly lit street.

The packet containing the illegal drug was worth P3 million, but the suspects agreed to sell it to policemen posing as buyers for only P2 million.

“They were in a hurry to sell it, that’s why they quoted a lower price,” said Insp. Roberto Razon of the Quezon City Police District’s Anti Illegal Drugs unit.

Atilano and Pepino were arrested at around 12:45 a.m. Saturday during a buy-bust at the corner of Anonas and Lanzones Streets in Barangay Quirino 2B, Project 3.

Aside from the shabu, also seized was a red Honda CRV (XMF 828) which the suspects used, a digital weighing scale, and four cellular phones.

Policemen got wind of the pair’s illegal drug trade from a small time peddler who was previously arrested and jailed.

Razon said the small time peddler squealed on his sources, whom he said came from Las Piñas City.

Early this week, the QCPD anti-narcotics team went to Las Piñas City, pretending to be buying wholesale from the suspects.

“The suspects only sell shabu in bulk, like a minimum of a kilo. They don’t do street-level retailing,” Razon explained.

A transaction was set for Friday night, initially in Taguig City until it was moved to the Libis area in Quezon City.

However, the suspects wanted to move the meet-up point since Libis was still full of people even in the wee hours of the night.

The policemen suggested meeting at a corner of Anonas Street, which Razon described as dark enough for the parties to transact business without drawing attention.

Atilano and Pepino were arrested as they handed over the contraband to the lawmen in exchange for P2 million in fake money.

The suspects allegedly got the shabu from a source in Bacoor, Cavite, Razon added.

They will be charged with drug trafficking charges, a non-bailable crime, under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

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