Mother, son yield P170-million ‘shabu’ in Cebu City pier

Local

AUTHORITIES apprehended a mother and son early Thursday morning, January 23, at Pier 4 in Cebu City after discovering P170 million worth of suspected shabu inside their vehicle.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Central Visayas (PDEA-7) Seaport Interdiction Unit, with the help of other law enforcement agencies, intercepted Edward Roche Loga, 41, a truck driver from Isabel, Leyte, and his mother, Edna Roche Loga, 63, from Barangay Ermita, Cebu City, when they tried to avoid a routine K9 inspection upon arriving from Masbate.

A K9 unit led by Bayani, a Belgina Malinois drug-sniffing dog, flagged a suspicious brown carton box inside the suspects’ vehicle.

Upon inspection, officers uncovered 25 kilograms of shabu concealed inside a garbage bag, with an estimated market value of P170 million.

Laboratory tests confirmed that the substance was methamphetamine hydrochloride.

According to investigators, the suspects claimed they were only tasked to deliver the vehicle from Masbate to Cebu City and were unaware of the contents.

Edward said that he had been promised P20,000 to deliver the vehicle but insisted he did not know the identity of the person who gave him the task.

Law enforcement officials believe the suspects may be connected to a large drug syndicate.

Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan, chief of the Police Regional Office-Central Visayas (PRO-7), noted that operations involving drugs of such high-value and large-scale transportation require the resources of organized groups.

He highlighted the substantial impact of such a seizure on reducing drug supplies.

The suspects are detained at the PDEA 7 facility, with charges for violating Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, being prepared against them.

Authorities continue to investigate the extent of the suspects’ involvement in illegal drug operations.(MyTVCebu Desk)