2 men nabbed for carrying cocaine

TWO men who claimed they were fishermen from Samar province were arrested by anti-narcotics operatives of the Quezon City Police District on Tomas Morato Avenue   on Monday night  for carrying a package of cocaine.

Chief Insp. Richard Ang, head of the QCPD’s Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group (AID-SOTG), said the seized contraband could be part of a shipment of cocaine dumped by drug dealers in the waters off Samar.

The men were identified as cousins Manuel and Eutiquio Balangkayan of  Eastern Samar.

Ang said a  backpack the pair had with them yielded at least 1 kilo of cocaine worth around P5 million.

Ang said that after they  received information about a drug deal that was to take place between Timog and Tomas Morato, he ordered  a stakeout in the area.

The suspects were arrested at around 6 p.m.  in front of a bank along Tomas Morato Avenue in Barangay South Triangle.

PO2 Warlito Cagurungan, officer on case,  said the cocaine was packed in a plastic bag and was hidden in a cut rubber tire covered with clothes inside  the backpack.

Manuel told police that a fisherman in Samar handed him the cocaine and P1,700 as travel fare  to Manila where he would  make the delivery. Eutiquio joined his cousin later.

Ang said the two were arrested while they were checking the contraband inside the backpack.

According to the suspects, they were supposed to meet another person on Tomas Morato St. to whom they would  give the cocaine.

“They were also promised they would be paid  P5,000 each for the delivery,” Ang  said.

Police  are checking on the cousins’ story  that the seized cocaine was  part of a cocaine shipment weighing two tons  that was dumped from a ship in the waters of Samar in December 2009.

Ang  said  both suspects are currently detained at the jail of the QCPD AID-SOTG.

The police official added that the suspects will be charged with delivery, or transport of dangerous drugs under Section 5 of Republic Act 9165.