Northern Police District operatives seized 24 kilos of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu during a buy-bust operation at midnight in Sta. Ana, Manila on Wednesday.
The NPD police also arrested two suspects, while the illegal drugs were seized inside a luggage during the operation. The police said the shabu were packed in refined tea bags bearing Chinese characters inside a silver luggage in the house of suspects Ian Calabio, 26, jobless, and his mom Ruby Calabio, 61, married, in Barangay 778, Sta. Ana, Manila.
The shabu, the police said, has an estimated street value of P163 million in Sta Ana, Manila.
According to Northern Police District Director Amando Clifton Empiso, they conducted a separate buy-bust operation in Caloocan on Tuesday afternoon that led to the arrest of suspects who revealed that their sources can be traced in Sta. Ana.
Empiso said they then conducted a buy-bust operation with police posing as buyers. The “buyers” were allowed to go inside the house of the suspects in Sta. Ana before they declared the buy-bust operation.
Aside from the packed shabu, police also recovered P30,000 marked money. All evidence, Empiso said, will go to the laboratory for examination.
Cases for violation of Sec5 in relation to Sec. 26 and Sec. 11 of RA 9165 are being prepared for filing before the Manila City Prosecutors Office. Meanwhile, Philippine National Police chief, Director General Oscar Albayalde said they are now investigating if the illegal substance was smuggled into the country.
“That is part of our investigation kung paano nakapasok or kung papaano na-develop or nagawa ‘yang ganyan karaming shabu. Of course, ‘yung pag-empake pa lang alam na nating there’s a big possibility na smuggled talaga ‘yan,” he said.