P81-M ‘shabu’ recovered in Cebu

Agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas conduct an inventory after they seized 12 packs of shabu concealed inside Chinese tea packs wrapped in black rubber material at a warehouse in Mandaue City last Saturday. (Photo courtesy of PDEA-7)

CEBU CITY—A routine patrol of drug enforcement agents led to the discovery of about 12 kilos of “shabu” (crystal meth) worth P81.6 million at a warehouse of a courier service company in Mandaue City of Cebu province on Saturday.

No one was arrested. But Levi Ortiz, director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas, said they were able to trace the shipper and consignees of the contraband.

“We already have their identities but we won’t disclose their names yet pending an investigation and a follow-up operation,” he said in an interview on Sunday.

Charges for violation of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, particularly for delivery or transportation of prohibited drugs, will be filed against the shipper and consignees. The offense is nonbailable.

K-9 dogs

The illegal drugs were placed inside three boxes of LED lights stored in a warehouse of a courier express company.

Ortiz said K-9 dogs brought by the agents sat near one of the boxes, prompting them to bring the items to Pier 3 in Cebu City for an X-ray scan, which detected an organic substance inside the boxes.

The boxes were found to contain 12 large packs of shabu concealed inside Chinese tea packs wrapped in black rubber material. —NESTLE SEMILLA