Pair of sandals in parcel yields P2M in shabu

AFP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—A pair of lady’s sandals delivered to a Davao del Norte city turned out to be worth millions.

This was after the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency intercepted more than P2 million worth of shabu hidden inside a pair of sandals on Wednesday.

Arrested was the intended recipient of the parcel, tricycle driver Ruel Gomban Reas, 36, of Luzviminda Subdivision in San Francisco, Panabo City.

PDEA director general Arturo Cacdac Jr. said the contraband was exactly worth P2.25 million and was shipped to Panabo City via parcel delivery service.

Reas was arrested upon claiming the package on Wednesday afternoon at a gasoline station in Barangay Gredu.

PDEA spokesperson Derrick Carreon said the shabu was hidden inside the soles of a pair of lady’s sandals.

“This modus is not new, we have previously intercepted illegal drugs stuffed inside the soles of knock-off, cheap sandals,” he said in an interview.

The contraband weighed 250 grams and was placed inside heat-sealed plastic sachets before being hidden inside the shoes.

The PDEA Region 11 office and the Philippine National Police jointly conducted the interception operation at a gasoline station where the package was delivered by a parcel delivery service.

Cacdac said they received a tip and eventually verified through intelligence reports that a parcel containing illegal drugs was on its way to Panabo City.

It turned out that Reas was the one claiming the package and was subsequently arrested.

Carreon said they had intended to arrest the claiming party instead of immediately intercepting the package while being delivered.

“It is more fruitful for us to nab the one claiming the parcel, since the sender may use a fictitious name when sending it,” he added.

Reas will be charged with delivery and possession of dangerous drugs under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.