CEBU CITY — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) seized an estimated PHP9 million worth of marijuana plants and PHP3 million worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride or “shabu” in separate operations here on Tuesday.
PDEA-7 agents raided a marijuana plantation in the mountain barangay of Tagba-o, Cebu City Tuesday morning and uprooted a total of 22,532 plants and seedlings.
The PDEA-7 carried out the raid together with some members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Central Command, Provincial Intelligence Branch, Cebu City Police Office, and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-7.
No arrest was made during the raid, but PDEA-7 has yet to determine who owns the plantation.
At around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday., the PDEA-7 conducted a buy-bust operation in Barangay Lagtang, Talisay City and recovered 600 grams of shabu from two alleged underlings of self-confessed drug lord Franz Sabalones, who surrendered in Camp Crame more than a year ago.
The suspects were identified as spouses Misael and Janice Palermo of Lagtang, Talisay, who are both on the PDEA-7’s watch list.
According to PDEA-7 spokesperson Leia Albiar, the couple was among Sabalones’ trusted underlings who have been dealing drugs in Talisay and Cebu City.
Albiar said the couple may have been operating on their own now since they have not monitored any illegal activity involving Sabalones, but they believe that the Palermos are getting their supply from the same source of their former boss. (Luel Galarpe/PNA)
