The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Thursday, March 24, denied it tagged any local official in Quezon province in the recently seized P11-billion worth of illegal drugs in Infanta town.
"The NBI, specifically the Task Force Against Illegal Drugs (TFAID) nor any Agent in the Task Force, has not insinuated nor implicated the involvement of any local official in the Province of Quezon in the seizure of the P11B worth of illegal drugs described as the biggest drug haul in Philippine history,” NBI Deputy Director Ferdinand M. Lavin said in a statement.
“Suffice it to say that under strict instructions from Director Distor himself, the NBI is determined and will use all available resources to ferret out the truth and will leave no stones unturned to find out the mastermind in this criminal attempt to trade illegal drugs in our country,” Lavin said.
He said the NBI had to issue a statement in response to social media reports that the law enforcement agency has tagged local officials in the Quezon province in the recently seized P11-billion worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu.
The NBI seized the shabu last March 15 in Infanta, Quezon where operatives arrested 10 persons.
The large amount of shabu was found contained in 1,589 tea bags that were transported on board three commuter vans.
The 10 arrested persons face charges of transportation of illegal drugs in violation of Section 5 of Republic Act 9165, also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
They were identified by the NBI as Jamelanie Samsono, Reynante Alpuerto, Jenard Samson, Mark Brayn Abonita, Dante Manoso, Kenneth Abonita, Marvin Gallardo, Eugene Pandoma, Alvin Evardo, and Jaymante Gallaro.
They are detained at the NBI center in Manila.