‘Uneasy’ man yields drugs at checkpoint

HIS UNEASY and suspicious movements gave away a former TV cameraman who was found to be carrying P70,000 worth of drugs at a police checkpoint in Quezon City.

Dennis Ofilada, 38, was arrested by members of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Masambong Station who were manning a checkpoint on Mindanao Avenue at past 11 a.m. on Saturday.

The QCPD head, Senior Supt. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, said that Ofilada and his companion were initially flagged down for not wearing motorcycle helmets.

However, they later subjected him to a search because he seemed uneasy and was acting suspiciously. His companion who was driving the motorcycle was able to escape.

Found in Ofilada’s possession were seven sachets or 35 grams of “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride) worth around P70,000, his TV5 identification card which expired two years ago and a cell phone containing text messages regarding drug transactions. He now faces charges of transporting illegal drugs.

According to Eleazar, the arrest of Ofilada highlighted the QCPD’s intensified anti-illegal drug campaign.

“We are looking at each drug problem one by one and providing solutions on how to stop this,” Eleazar said, adding that they were not only focusing on raiding drug dens, entrapping drug sellers but also preventing the transport of drugs around the city and other localities.

Since Eleazar assumed office on July 1, more than 1,500 drug users and pushers have been arrested in various police operations in Quezon City.