Authorities seized P102 million worth of shabu from three suspects in a buy-bust in Bacoor, Cavite, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said on Friday.
Nabbed were Ronnie Mardoquio Menodiado Alias "Boy," Victorio Vida Najera, and Annie Rose Torres Lingua.
The three were arrested by agents of the PDEA Special Enforcement Service on Molino Boulevard corner Aguinaldo Highway in Barangay Talaba 4 on Thursday.
Seized from the operation were 15 kilos of shabu inside "Guanyinwang" tea bags.
Citing investigation reports, PDEA chief Aaron Aquino said Menodiado was the main source of shabu in Cavite and the whole of Region 4A (Calabarzon) and his group distributes shabu in Metro Manila and Zamboanga City.
Meanwhile, PDEA also discovered a new scheme where drug peddlers park their vehicles at a certain place.
The supplier, who has a duplicate car key will put shabu inside the pusher’s vehicle and the latter will then come back and get the car with shabu in it.
"We are still investigating if they are selling shabu to college students in the region," Aquino said.
Charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 will be filed against the suspects.
Meanwhile, the 11 policemen tagged as “Ninja Cops” has entered a plea of not guilty before a regional trial court in Pampanga, in connection with their alleged involvement in the recycling of some 200 kilos of shabu in year 2013.
Accused Police Senior Inspector Joven De Guzman, Jr., SPO1 Jules Maniago, SPO1 Donald Roque, SPO1 Ronald Santos, SPO1 Rommel Vital, SPO1 Alcindor Tinio, PO3 Dante Dizon, PO3 Dindo Dizon, PO3 Gilbert De Vera, PO3 Romeo Guerrero and SPO1 Eligio Valeroso all entered a plea of not guilty during their arraignment before the sala of Judge Esperanza Paglinawan-Rario of Pampanga RTC Branch 44.
The DOJ earlier filed against the accused criminal charges of violating provisions of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 namely Section 27 (misappropriation of dangerous drugs); Section 29 (planting of evidence); and Section 92 (delay and bungling in the prosecution of drug cases; and Article 211 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) on qualified bribery; and Section 3 (e) of RA 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act).
For violating Section 32 of RA 9165 (violation of the Dangerous Drugs Board regulation), the two accused SPO1 Santos and PO3 Guerrero also pleaded not guilty.
The arraignment for Police Supt. Rodney Raymundo Louie Juico Baloyo IV, who is facing the same criminal offenses, has been set on March 13.
Last Feb. 27, De Guzman was arraigned for false testimony under Article 180 of the RPC before San Fernando, Pampanga Metropolitan Trial Circuit Court Branch 2 and pleaded not guilty.
Guerrero also pleaded not guilty to the charge of false testimony and perjury charges. While Santos also entered a plea of not guilty for false testimony.
The court set the pre-trial hearing on July 16.
The charged policemen allegedly participated in the illegal drugs operation involving 200-kilos of shabu but only 36.60 kilograms of shabu were declared and recovered during their operations in Mexico, Pampanga.
The DOJ panel of prosecutors also said that the police officers obtained P10-million from the operation but they reportedly only declared P300,000. Some of them reportedly did not declare a Toyota Fortuner that was seized during the operation.
They also allegedly illegally arrested Ding Wenkun instead of Johnson Lee from whom they reportedly seized the illegal drugs.