2 suspected shabu pushers arrested in Roxas City

ROXAS CITY, Philippines – Police officers arrested a man and his nephew allegedly involved in shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) trafficking here Monday.

Members of the Roxas City Police Station (RCPS) arrested Nilo Vidal, 36, and his nephew Alejo Vidal, 26, in a house on Margarita Street in Barangay XI here.

Meanwhile, a third suspect, Ted Angelo, was able to flee a few minutes after learning that police officers were conducting a drug raid, RCPS officer-in-charge Superintendent Luther Lugo III said.

Search warrants were issued against the three by Executive Judge Ignacio Alajar of the Regional Trial Court 6th Judicial Region, Hall of Justice, Roxas City on Friday.

The house was made of concrete but its room dividers were made of wood, he said. The three had their respective rooms.

None of the three owned the house. They were probably renting the rooms, Lugo said.

Police officers first searched Alejo Vidal’s room at around 1:30 a.m. They recovered 15 open small plastic sachets with suspected shabu residue, five stripped aluminum foils with suspected shabu residue, five disposable lighters, three improvised glass tooters, two heat-sealed plastic sachets suspected to contain shabu, one improvised plastic straw used for repacking shabu, one improvised burner, one digital weighing scale, and P2,670 cash.

Next, they searched Nilo Vidal’s room at around 2 a.m. Recovered were four crumpled aluminum foils, three heat-sealed plastic sachets suspected to contain shabu, three improvised glass tooters, three disposable lighters, and one improvised aluminum foil needle.

At around 4 a.m., Ted Angelo Vidal’s room was searched. Recovered were twelve small packs of plastic, six improvised glass pipe tooters with plastic hose, three heat-sealed plastic sachets suspected to contain shabu, two open small plastic sachets with suspected shabu residue, two stainless scissors, one digital weighing scale, one small spoon, one small double mint candy container, and one rolled aluminum foil.

Customers come to the house around midnight until 2 a.m., which was an ideal time to conduct the raid, Lugo said. The raid ended at 6 a.m. of the same day.

All three face charges for possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia.SFM