Operatives of the Cavite Provincial Drug Enforcement Group, Special Operation Unit 4B conduct an inventory of the seized drugs. Photo by DENNIS ABRINA
PNP-DEG strikes again, leads seizure of P251.6M shabu in Cavite
A PHILIPPINE National Police Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-DEG)-led anti-narcotics operation in Imus City in Cavite on Saturday night led to the arrest of two ‘high-value targets’ in the country who yielded some 37 kilograms of shabu worth P251.6 million, a report to PNP chief, General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. said.
PNP-DEG director, Brigadier Gen. Narciso D. Domingo identified the arrested suspects as Datu Ali Sampulna,38, and his wife Almira Karao Sampulna ,30, both residents of Park Laurena, Poblacion 7 in Cotabato City.
According to the PNP-DEG director, the couple was arrested in a buy-bust operation inside Block 1, Lot 66, Happy Homes Subdivision in Barangay Buhay na Tubig in Imus City around 7:20 .m. Saturday.
Members of the PNP-DEG Special Operations Unit 4-B and SOU 4-A launched the sting with the support of the Imus City Police Station, the Police Regional Office 4-A Regional Drug Enforcement Unit under Brig. Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Brig. Gen. Domingo said.
“We have arrested two top drug targets from Mindanao who have been in our radar for some months now amid reports that they are engaged in large-scale distribution of shabu in Calabarzon and other urban parts of the country,” said the PNP-DEG director.
Gen. Azurin has ordered the PNP-DEG to launch an all-out effort to identify and arrest the main source of the huge volume of the so-called ‘poor man’s cocaine’ seized from the couple.
At the same time, he congratulated the PNP-DEG and other units involved in the Imus City sting accounting for the drugs which could have really ‘flooded’ the streets had they were not confiscated by the police.
Recovered from the possession of the suspects were the 37 kilograms of shabu wrapped in Chinese tea bags, the P1 million worth of buy-bust money topped by a marked P1,000 bill, two mobile phones, a pouch containing assorted identification cards and assorted remittance receipts.
The cell phones will be subjected to a technical investigation to identify the other contacts of the drug-dealing couple who are now under the custody of the PNP-DEG SOU 4-B.
They will be facing non-bailable charges for sale and possession of prohibited drugs under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. The offense carries the penalty of life imprisonment and a P10 million fine upon conviction.
Last Saturday night’s successful operation came a month after PNP-DEG agents launched a string of anti-narcotics operations in Manila which resulted in the seizure of at least 990 kilos of shabu valued at P6.7 billion and the arrest of a PNP-DEG agent identified as Police Master Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo Jr. and his civilian cohort Ney Atadero.
The drugs were recovered in a lending firm in Manila owned by Mayo.
“Marami pang buhay ng ating mga kababayan lalo na ang mga kabataan ang naisalba natin dahil sa operation na ito,” said Gen. Azurin.
Gen. Azurin has commended the ‘intelligence-driven’ anti-narcotics operation launched by the PNP-DEG with the support of other police units, the PDEA and the Bureau of Customs which led in the biggest drug haul made so far by the police force under the administration of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ R. Marcos Jr.
“Wala akong pakialam kung sino masasagasaan dito, kung hanggang saan aabot ang investigation dito. Pero ang malinaw dito, nahuhuli natin ng buhay ang mga miyembro ng malalaking sindikato, hindi sila napapatay,” he told the Journal Group.
