PNP pursues those who buried P7.6M shabu at Mt. Iraya in Batanes

The Philippine National Police is hunting down those responsible for burying P7.6 million worth of shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) at the foot of Mt. Iraya in Basco, Batanes.

Chief Supt. Ranier Idio, the Cagayan police regional director, said they were investigating to identify the persons behind the burying of more than two kilos of shabu discovered last week.

“A continuous case build-up is in progress to locate the remaining contraband, gather evidence to identify those responsible in the proliferation of illegal drugs in Batanes, and to conduct arrest and seizure,” said Idio.

The recovery of exactly 2.543 kilos of shabu in the forested area near the foot of Mt. Iraya was part of the police’s “Complan Island Stone,” an anti-narcotics campaign in the province of Batanes.

The contraband was recovered in the afternoon of July 28 following a tip about the shabu, which was buried in a hole about 1.5 feet deep.

The illegal substance was placed into four packs, with an estimated street value of P7.6 million. It was hidden in a hole dug in the forested area near the foot of Mt. Iraya in Sitio Diohangu, Barangay San Joaquin in Basco, Batanes.

Idio said the recovery was conducted in cooperation with the Batanes and Basco police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

The shabu is now under the custody of the Basco police station. It will be submitted to the Cagayan police regional crime laboratory for examination.