Suspected drug courier arrested at Cebu port

CEBU CITY–A suspected drug courier was arrested past 5 a.m. on Friday after he was caught carrying about 100 grams of shabu while trying to board a vessel for Ormoc City in Leyte at Pier 1 here.

Edgar Ybañez Luzon, 35, of Barangay Labangon in Cebu City, was detained at the Waterfront police station pending filing of charges.

PO3 Jerome Paquibot of the Waterfront police station said the illegal drugs would be sent to the crime laboratory for examination.

Luzon was about to be frisked at the port’s terminal before boarding a boat bound for Ormoc when he suddenly ran outside, according to Cebu Port Authority Guard Felan Zernan.

READ: Teacher, four men nabbed in drug bust in Badian | Port cops arrest man with drugs worth P2M at pier 3 terminal

Zernan said they chased Luzon who was able to board a taxi cab, which was stopped by Zernan near the Waterfront Police station.
With the help of the policemen, they found a large plastic pack which was covered by a packaging tape in between the seats of the driver and the passenger.

Taxi driver Michael Malaque, 39, told policemen that he did not own the item.

At the police station, Luzon admitted that the pack was given to him by an unidentified man whom he met last night in Labangon.

He said the man told him to bring the item to Ormoc City and someone would fetch it at the port.

Luzon said he was given P2,000 but claimed he didn’t know it contained illegal drugs.

“Had I known, I wouldn’t agree to bring the item. The P2000 was too small an amount considering that my children are quite young,” he said.

Luzon said he has 4 children — eldest is 8 and the youngest is 2.

He admitted that he was imprisoned for a year in 1999 for using drugs.