Drugs, guns found in parked car

NBI officials show the drugs and guns seized from alleged gang members Edris Macalabo (left) and Arvin Zapanta.—PHOTOS BY RICHARD A. REYES

Almost 20 kilos of “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride) worth P120 million and 25 firearms have been seized from two men who were reportedly part of a syndicate transporting the contraband to Mindanao.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Monday presented Edris Macalabo and Arvin Zapanta to reporters. They were arrested on April 1 on Road 10, near the Manila North Harbor in Tondo, Manila.

Found inside their vehicle were 19.831 kilograms of suspected shabu hidden in 24 plastic bags.

The pair also yielded 25 long and short firearms consisting of 10 cal. .45 pistols, 10 cal. .38 revolvers, five 9mm submachine guns, 10 9mm magazine clips, 19 cal. .45 magazines, four suppressors for a 9mm and 30 bullets for a 9mm.

In a statement, the NBI said that they received a tip on March 29 that a drug syndicate led by a man identified only as “Boy Muslim” would be transporting several kilograms of drugs and a firearms cache from Manila to Mindanao.

The tipster added that the gang members would be using a Toyota Corolla with plate number WDJ 567.

“The operation was conducted in collaboration with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. The drug syndicate primarily operates in the City of Manila and nearby provinces like Cavite, and transports the drugs and firearms to Mindanao,” the NBI said. It added, however, that it was still trying to determine the cargo’s destination and recipient.

On April 1, NBI agents who had been conducting surveillance since March 30 spotted the car parked on Road 10. It was later approached by two men on a motorcycle who took the key hidden in the muffler.

When the suspects who were identified as Macalabo and Zapanta got into the car, they were stopped by the agents.

“They were requested to get out of the car and were informed that a [police] dog would be checking the car for illegal drugs. During the process, the drug-sniffing dog demonstrated a reaction to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle which provided the NBI operatives probable cause to search the vehicle,” the NBI said.