CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro – Authorities confiscated 120 kilos of suspected shabu valued at P816 million in a seaport interdiction operation at the port here on Friday morning, March 21.
SHABU valued at P816 million was seized in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro on March 21.
Initial investigation showed that the Philippine National Police-Maritime Group 4-B assigned to the pier received a call from the Philippine Coast Guard which flagged down a white car that disembarked from a ship that arrived from Batangas for possible contraband.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Seaport Interdiction Unit led by team leader Catherine Royo deployed a K-9 dog which detected that drugs were present inside the car.
Sensing that he will be arrested, the 43-year-old driver of the car ran away. He was apprehended outside the port and interrogated.
The suspect said that he was just ordered by the unidentified owner to drive the car from Batangas and bring it to Iloilo via Mindoro.
Police discovered the contraband neatly packed in plastic containers bearing Chinese characters.
Police Brig. Gen. Roger L. Quesada, Police Regional Office-Mimaropa (Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan) chief, said the operation is the biggest so far this year in Mindoro.
The PDEA attributed the successful operation to their close collaboration with the PCG, PNP Maritime Group 4-B, National Bureau of Investigation, Police Drug Enforcement Group, Police Highway Patrol Group, and Calapan City Police Station.
The PDEA is conducting inventory of the recovered items as of posting time.