By ARIEL AVENDANO
CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija – Police here seized Saturday morning over P1.7 million worth of shabu from three alleged members of a big-time drug syndicate allegedly being run by a drug convict currently detained at the National Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.
City police chief Lt. Col. Barnard Danie Dasugo said the suspects – Teresita Francisco, 49; Michael Correa, 38; and Celedonio Caseria, 66 – were arrested during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Camp Tinio here at 2.30 a.m. Saturday.
Another suspect identified as a certain Michael Nicolas remains at large, the police official said.
According to police report, a police operative who acted as a poseur-buyer was able to purchase shabu in a plastic sachet for P500 from Francisco.
During further inspection, the cops recovered from the suspects 52 more plastic sachets containing 250.23 grams of suspected shabu with a street value of P1,701,564.
Dasugo said that during interrogation, the suspects revealed that they were members of a drug syndicate run by a drug lord presently detained at the national penitentiary.
“Batay po sa isinagawa naming custodial investigation, ang supplier (of shabu) ay nakakulong sa Muntinlupa,” Dasugo said.
“Kung mapapansin ninyo, karamihan sa mga naaaresto ay pawang kababaihan. Gumagamit na po sila (‘yong nasa Muntinlipa) ng ibang diskarte kung papaano nila pinapatakbo ang shabu sa lokal”, the official added.
“They are utilizing couriers pero compartmentalized, ibig sabihin ‘yong courier ay walang alam na impormasyon sa iba”, Dasugo further said.
