P136M shabu seized from police officer and 3 others in Baguio City

Baguio City, Philippines – A police officer in Baguio City is one of the four suspects arrested in the buy-bust operation that led to the seizure of P136 million worth of suspected shabu on Tuesday, March 25.

The buy-bust operation was launched by the anti-narcotic operatives from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Police Regional Office Cordillera on said date in Barangay Dontogan which resulted into the arrest of four individuals.

These four were identified to be a 45-year-old police officer assigned at Baguio City Police Office, 49-year-old woman from Baguio City, 38-year-old tattoo artist from Valenzuela City, and a 37-year-old mechanic from Agoo, La Union. These suspects were tagged as high value drug personalities.

According to PROCAR, these four individuals were immediately handcuffed after selling one vacuum-sealed pack of suspected shabu worth P6,800,000 to an undercover operative. 

During the course of their arrest, 19 vacuum-sealed packs of suspected shabu were discovered by the authorities. These packs were estimated to be worth P129,200,000.

Drugs to be shipped somewhere else

Following the operation, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, in his interview with Bombo Radyo Baguio, said that authorities believe the confiscated contraband was supposed to be shipped somewhere else and that they were just brought to Baguio for safekeeping since they are still on vacuum-sealed packs and on luggage.

“As I’ve said naka-vacuum pack siya, hindi siya heat-sealed. Alam mo kasi kapag heat-sealed, usually yan for distribution na yan,” he explained.

While all villages in Baguio City were declared as drug free, the mayor likewise shared that he ordered for a drug clearing review and assessment of the status of the barangays in the city as he himself does not believe that all barangays remained free of illegal drugs.

“I don’t really care kung bumagsak tayo sa rating, what is important is we know the real situation in the barangay,” Magalong asserted.