P1-M ‘shabu’ seized in Koronadal drug bust

FILE: The police official said the recovered shabu was estimated at a market value of around P1.062 million. (PNA photo)

KORONADAL CITY— Police here arrested two suspected “big time” drug pushers and recovered around P1 million worth of illegal drugs in a buy-bust operation in a village here Friday afternoon.

Supt. Ronald Allan Penaverde, Koronadal City police chief, identified the suspects as Ver Gil Subaldo Hurtado, 35, alias “Benje,” and Mark Palma dela Cruz, 37, alias “Intsik,” both residents of Purok Twin River East in Barangay Sto. Nino.

He said the suspects were arrested at Hurtado’s house at around 4 p.m. after selling a sachet of suspected metamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu worth P500 to a police officer who posed as a buyer.

In a subsequent search, Penaverde said they recovered from the possession of the two suspects two small packs, two medium packs, three large packs, five big packs and a jumbo pack of suspected shabu, a “wrap” of dried marijuana leaves, five open plastic sachets with traces of suspected shabu, four empty transparent plastic sachets, disposable lighter, bamboo sealer, improvised tooter, stainless scissor, multicolor pouch and aluminum container box.

The police official said the recovered shabu was estimated at a market value of around P1.062 million.
Penaverde said they were earlier informed of the illegal activities of the suspects.
He said they subjected the two to surveillance operations and a “test-buy” that turned out positive.

Dr. Glorio Sandig, City Anti-Drug Abuse Council action officer, said the volume of the seized shabu shows that the suspects are high-level targets.

“They were into repacking of shabu based on the recovered pieces of evidence,” he said.

The operation was witnessed by Sandig, Sto. Nino barangay chair Norberto Banaria and a media worker.

Penaverde said they sent the recovered pieces of evidence to the provincial police crime laboratory for proper examination and valuation.

He said the suspects, who are currently detained at the Koronadal City police station lockup, will be charged with violation of Sections 5 and 11 or selling and possession of dangerous drugs, under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.(PNA)