Teen yields P2.6-M worth of ‘shabu’

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-Bacolod has seized P2.6 million worth of suspected shabu from a male teenager in a buy-bust at Purok Sigay, Barangay 2 here last Saturday.

The suspect was identified as Dan Aldrick Ballesteros, 19, of the said village, based on a report from the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO).

Police recovered from him 22 sachets of suspected shabu, the P1,000 marked money, and a weighing scale.

NBI-Bacolod head Atty. Renoir Baldovino, over an interview with Aksyon Radyo Bacolod, said they have monitored the suspect for two weeks before launching the operation against him.

Baldovino said the operation was supposed to be conducted last Friday but they rescheduled to the following day because the police had the same schedule with them. “Baka mabulabog,” he added.

Baldovino said the suspect might have disposed of the other items before he was busted, adding that based on their intelligence gathering, the suspect was supposed to have about two kilos of the said illegal drugs.

Baldovino said the suspect might be considered a high value target because of the quantity of the recovered contraband.

“Siya yung nag rerepack for distribution at may pumipick-up sa kanya. Matagal na ring nagbebenta,” he said, based on their intelligence monitoring.

Baldovino said they are still investigating the source of the illegal drugs, as the suspect didn’t provide them information about his supplier.

Baldovino said the suspect’s parents didn’t know that their son was allegedly engaging in the said illegal activity.

Meanwhile, Police Lieutenant Andy Ofalia, head of Police Station 2, said that Ballesteros is not part of their drug listing, adding that he could be a newly-identified drug personality in the area.

The suspect, who has yet to comment on the allegations against him, is now under the custody of the NBI, and will be facing drug charges.

Also, the BCPO seized P227,300 worth of suspected shabu from eight persons in separate buy-bust operations here from April 15 to 17. The operations were conducted at Barangays Felisa, 1, Alijis, Banago, and Villamonte.