The seized drugs were presented during the inventory at NBI Field Office in Antipolo, Rizal where the contraband was brought for accounting, and the arrested 10 suspects at Infanta town. Photo by Gemi Formaran
NBI nets 1.5 tons of shabu worth P10B in Quezon
INFANTA, Quezon – Joint elements of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Task Force on Illegal Drugs, NBI-Quezon, and Quezon Police Provincial Office on Tuesday arrested 10 drug suspects and seized 3 vans loaded with around 1,500 kilos (1.5 metric tons) of shabu along National Highway at Bgy. Comon, in this coastal town.
Quezon Police director Col. Joel Villanueva the operation was led by NBI-Quezon headed by Senior Agent Eliezer Salcedo.
He said the total volume and amount of seized illegal drugs are yet to be determined by the NBI chemists.
The arrested suspects were identified as Jaymart Gallardo, 29, resident of Quezon City; Alvin Ibardo, 41, of Antipolo Rizal; Mark Brian L. Abonita, 26, of Tanay, Rizal; Kennedy L. Abonita, 24, of Tanay, Rizal; Dante C. Mañoso, 35, of Tanay, Rizal; Marvin A. Gallardo, 39, of Tanay, Rizal; Eugene G. Bandoma, 38, of Tanay, Rizal; Jenard Samson, 29, of Tanay, Rizal; Reynante Alfuerto, 42, of Tanay, Rizal; and Jamelanie Samson, 34, also of Tanay, Rizal.
The suspects were aboard the intercepted 3 units of white Nissan Urvan van and resulting in the confiscation of 80 sacks of shabu with an estimated weight of more or less 1,650 kilograms with a market value of P10 billion.
Town police commander Major Francis Aldrich Garcia said they intercepted and flagged down the 3 Nissan vans containing illegal drugs at 4:00 a.m.
The said inventory and markings of pieces of evidence were conducted in the presence of Bgy. Comon village officials and media representatives of Infanta, Quezon at the 3rd floor of Taytay Tiangge Building, Taytay, Rizal.
Infanta Vice Mayor and acting Mayor Lord Allan Ruanto who immediately came to the scene shortly after learning the suspects’ arrest said the contraband was only dumped in the town.
“There is a big possibility that the contraband came from other areas using the Pacific Ocean and was only transhipped to this town via ship. But it’s good that it was intercepted by the authorities,” said Ruanto in a phone interview.
Ruanto also asked Col. Villanueva to provide additional police personnel to his town’s police station to effectively guard their shorelines.
