LUCENA CITY-Anti-illegal drug operatives on Wednesday busted an emerging syndicate allegedly responsible for the spread of imported variety of high-grade marijuana in this city and neighboring towns.
Policemen led by Lucena police chief Supt. Vicente Cabatingan and elements from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, raided the safehouse of John Michael Añonuevo, 24, in Barangay 2 around 3:20 p.m., said Quezon police director Senior Supt. Rhoderick Armamento.
Añonuevo sold a plastic of marijuana to an undercover policeman.
The raiders seized 170 grams of imported marijuana “kush” worth P340,000 in the street market, a digital weighing scale and drug paraphernalia.
“Kush” is a strain of “cannabis indica” which is 100-percent more potent than the traditional “weeds” or marijuana (cannabis sativa).
Police also arrested Añonuevo’s 17-year-old brother–a student who was also involved in the illegal drug operation.
“He (John Michael) was the one responsible for the introduction of marijuana kush in this city and neighboring towns,” Armamento told the Inquirer in a phone interview.
“It’s good that we busted them this early,” he added.
The drug transactions between the suspects and their clients were often coursed online.
Armamento said the suspects were fast gaining customers due to the scarcity of crystal meth (“shabu”) in the local drug scene.
“For its potency and strong kick, MJ kush is an attractive alternative for shabu users,” he said.
Armamento said the illegal activities were tipped off by former drug users and surrenderees who have been active in the drug campaign.
“Their information and the painstaking efforts of our intel operatives to build up the case resulted to the immediate downfall of the suspects,” police said.
The suspects were still undergoing tactical investigation to extract other information on the syndicate’s source of illegal drugs and the identities of its network of pushers./lb