P23.6M worth of ‘shabu’ seized in Cebu drug raid; big-time pushers caught

CEBU CITY—Two big-time drug pushers were arrested on Saturday after the police seized two kilos of “shabu” worth P23.6 million during a buy-bust operation in San Remegio town, about 109 km north of here.

Maribel Ibo Arcenal and her brother-in-law Eduardo Batad Arcenal were placed under the custody of provincial intelligence branch (PIB) pending filing of charges.

Senior Supt. Noel Gillamac, police provincial director, described the two as “big-time” drug pushers who allegedly sold shabu in the entire province.

Maribel is the wife of Reynaldo Arcenal, an alleged  big-time pusher who is detained at the provincial jail following his arrest in 2011 on drug charges.

Eduardo and Reynaldo are brothers.

The haul was the biggest by the provincial police this year, said Gillamac.

Gillamac said they conducted one month surveillance operations before members of the PIB and provincial anti-illegal drug special operations task group conducted a buy-bust operation past 10:45 a.m. on Saturday.

A poseur buyer bought shabu worth P10,000 from the two pushers who was inside a car parked near their house in Sitio Calcalan, Barangay Poblacion, San Remegio.

When the two handed the drugs, police operatives arrested the two and then searched the vehicle and the  house.

Seized were six pouches of shabu which weighed a total of 2.2 kilos with a street value of P23,659,000.