DINAGYANG SUPPLY: P750K worth of shabu seized in drug sting

FACELIFT Workers start painting the steel railings and center islands on major roads of Iloilo City in preparation for the Dinagyang Festival 2019 on Jan 25-27. Authorities are also busy busting drug peddlers who might take advantage of the festival. (Ricky D. Alejo)

A COUPLE from Cebu was arrested following a police anti-drug operation late afternoon of Jan. 8, 2019 in City Proper, Iloilo City.

Police identified the suspect as  Raymund Baclado, 28, Mandaue City, Cebu and Janice Pansoy, 22, of Naga City, Cebu.

The duo yielded suspected shabu worth P750,000.

An undercover cop allegedly bought a sachet of suspected shabu from Pansoy for P4,500.

The poseur-buyer and the couple initially agreed to do the sale at Dumangas town in Iloilo province.

But Pansoy changed her mind and told the buyer to go to her rented room at Barangay Rizal-Estanzuela, City Proper.

Senior Inspector Marc Dado, PNP Regional Drug Enforcement Unit (RDEU) team leader, said Baclado was in the room when the operation was conducted.

Another 21 sachets of suspected shabu were sized from the couple.

Pansoy admitted to selling illegal drugs but did not provide details.

Dado said the drugs recovered could be Pansoy’s pre-Dinagyang Festival supply.

Based on the text message at Pansoy’s mobile phone, she was supposed to get 250 grams of shabu soon.

Meanwhile, Dado said they are validating reports that Pansoy surrendered through Oplan Tokhang in Mandaue City.

She allegedly works as a commercial sex worker, which became easier for her to push drugs.

Pansoy’s illegal drugs involvement was known following a buy-bust operation in November 2018 in Bacolod City where 150 grams of shabu was recovered.

While Dado’s team arrested the target who is also from Mandaue City, Pansoy fled.

She was later spotted in Iloilo City.

Dado said Pansoy is the human carrier of shabu from Cebu. She usually took the route to San Carlos City, Negros Occidental before proceeding to Bacolod City.

She went to Iloilo via Dumangas wharf.