By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Around 150 grams of suspected shabu worth P1,020,000 was intercepted by authorities from a passenger at the Bacolod Real Estate Development Corp. (Bredco) port here yesterday.

Agent Dalisay of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Seaport Interdiction Unit identified the suspect as Martial Delos Santos, 49, of Lapaz, Iloilo.

Dalisay said the suspect refused to have his bag scanned at the port, prompting authorities to isolate him from other passengers.

“Daw medyo aligaga siya,” he added.

A K9 team of the PDEA and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) then sniffed the suspect’s bag until the narcotic detection dog stopped, which is an indication that it sensed contraband inside the bag.

Dalisay said that when the suspect was asked to open his bag, authorities saw the illegal drugs concealed in socks.

Delos Santos was supposed to board a roll-on roll-off (Roro) vessel to Dumangas, Iloilo, when he was intercepted.

“We are investigating right now. We are digging deeper about his background,” Agent Dalisay said.

Delos Santos will be detained at Police Station 2 pending the filing of drug charges.

In a media interview, Delos Santos said he was unaware of the contraband.

He said he was just asked by someone he didn’t know to transport the item to Iloilo, as somebody will just get the item and pay him in Iloilo.

It was the first time for him to accept such favor from someone, he said.

He said he arrived here last Tuesday to visit his relatives.