A Bilibid-inspired drug ring has flourished in the underground market in Bohol.
This cropped up after several arrests of suspected drug pushers linked to personalities who came from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).
PNP-7 regional director, Chief Superintendent Noli Taliño, disclosed that the mastermind in the bulk distribution of shabu amounting to P18 million came from the NBP.
Taliño clarified that it is not the supply of shabu that came from the NBP, but the person who was behind the distribution of a volume of shabu in Bohol.
PNP-7 regional office in Cebu sent a team here and teamed up with the Clarin police team for the buy-bust operation on May 6 where the P18-million shabu was confiscated.
At around 1:40 p.m. last Saturday, the composite team of Cebu and Clarin police arrested Teofilo Tampus, a 47 resident of barangay Nahawan in Clarin.
The composite police team seized three kilos of shabu from him with value estimated at P18 million, the biggest drug bust haul in Bohol, so far.
The buy-bust team was supposed to arrest him right after the consummation of the buy-bust, but Tampus hurriedly got inside his house to evade the authorities.
The cops pursued him and found the three large packs of shabu inside the house in plain view.
At around 7 p.m. on May 5,, Tampus’ 23-year-old son was also arrested, together with a female companion, at a checkpoint in Loon set up by the police and military in front of the municipal hall located in barangay Cogon Norte.
The law enforcers manning the checkpoint comprised of elements of Loon municipal police, the 2nd Maneuver Company of Catagbacan Norte in Loon and 62nd Infantry Battalion of the 3rd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, led by PCInsp. Jose Gesto.
Jonathan Tampus and his 18-year-old live-in partner, Geraldine Betinol, a resident of barangay Taloto in Tagbilaran City, yielded 50 grams of shabu worth P590,000, a .45 caliber handgun and seven live ammunitions at the checkpoint.
CONGLOMERATE
The Provincial Intelligence Branch of the Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO) is also tracking down a conglomerate of big-time illegal drug dealers lead separate drug rings of their own.
According to reports that the PIB had gathered, the big-time drug dealers hold base in a compound, but they operate separately and have their own group of drug runners.
Common among the groups is that they maximize the participation of female drug couriers.
This is allegedly intended to avoid detection by law enforcers who they think are likely to suspect male drug couriers.
The PIB had confirmed in April that a drug syndicate operating in Bohol taps a hoard of women drug runners to evade detection by law enforcers.
However, PSInsp. Jojit Mananquil of the PIB assured the public that they are just smart enough to detect this strategy.
In fact, the PIB has tracked the hide-out of high-profile drug personalities who hired women as drug runners.