By: Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – The City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) here seized more or less 500 grams of suspected shabu worth P15 million in a buy-bust at Purok Fatima, Barangay 31 Saturday night.
Police Colonel Henry Biñas, director of Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), said the illegal drugs are probably meant for the upcoming MassKara Festival in October.
Biñas said the target of the buy-bust operation was Cader Magondacan. However, he evaded arrest and his son was arrested instead.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Leonardo Borromeo, CDEU head said Magondacan’s 17-year-old son allegedly transacted with a police agent during the drug bust conducted at the house of the subject’s mother.
Borromeo said they didn’t really know how Magondacan escaped but they were told he rode his motorcycle as police operatives approached the house.
Police recovered from the minor 29 sachets of suspected shabu, and the P5,000 marked money.
The CDEU head said they have been monitoring Magondacan for weeks after some drug suspects who were previously arrested tagged him as their source of illegal drugs.
“Magondacan is one of the big suppliers of drugs here, but he is not visible in the city,” Borromeo said, adding that the suspect would transfer from one place to another.
“Kadanlog gid na sa iya. Dugay na gid na siya namun gina target na i-operate,” he added.
Borromeo said they received reports that the seized shabu came from Mindanao, since the subject is a native of the region.
Magondacan would usually distribute the items in Bacolod, and neighboring cities of Talisay and Silay, he added.
Also, Borromeo said that supply of illegal drugs cannot be found in the said village but most of the transactions are being held there.
Thus, the village is also one of their focus areas in terms of their campaign against illegal drugs, following the big volume of drug recovery in the barangay in previous years.
Moreover, Borromeo said the minor-suspect, who is studying in a university here, told the police that it was his fourth time engaging in the illegal drug trade as he was being asked by his father to do it, and he has knowledge about it.
The minor said that he will cooperate with the investigation.
The minor-suspect is now in the custody of the Social Development Center and will be charged for sale and illegal possession of dangerous drugs while his father who is at large will also be charge for sale of dangerous drugs.
With the recent accomplishment, Biñas said they would even continue to strengthen their operations against narcotics to at least minimize, if not totally eradicate the existence of the contraband here.