Balut vendors nabbed for selling ‘shabu’, too

MANILA, Philippines—Anti-narcotics agents arrested three sidewalk vendors selling “balut” as a cover for their illegal drugs trade in Zamboanga City earlier this week.

In a belated report, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said that their agents arrested Edna Siarot alias “Edna”, 42; Bernard Huelar alias “Bernie”, 34; and a 17-year-old in an entrapment operation last Monday at the corner of D. Navarro Street and RT Lim Boulevard in the village of San Jose Cawa-Cawa. The three were allegedly members of the Alih Drug Group, said PDEA Director General Undersecretary Jose Gutierrez Jr.

Operatives of the PDEA Regional Office 9 caught the suspects selling a heat-sealed plastic sachet allegedly containing “shabu” at around 7 p.m. Also seized from the suspects was a shoulder bag containing more than three heat-sealed sachets of illegal substance.

Gutierrez said that the suspects sold “balut” at night “but they also have customers who crave something other than balut. Our agents were able to expose their illegal drug trade and their connections which prompted PDEA to entrap these offenders.”

He said that Siarot and Huelar were under the custody of PDEA RO 9 and face charges for violation of Section 5 (Selling of Dangerous Drugs) in relation to Section 26 (Conspiracy) and Section 11 (Possession), Article II of the Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 before the Zamboanga City Prosecutor’s Office while, the 17 year-old suspect was turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The same regional unit of the PDEA earlier arrested seven other members of the Alih Drug Group in Zamboanga City last year.