The almost fist-sized white crystalline substance, initially thought to be shabu and seized from a female visitor at the Bohol District Jail in Tagbilaran City on Tuesday, turned out to be alum (tawas).
This was confirmed by JO3 Nimrod Bito of BDJ after receiving the results of a test conducted on the seized substance by the Bohol police’s crime laboratory which was released Tuesday.
However, Bito said that another substance seized from suspect Josenien Perfecio was confirmed to be shabu.
The confiscated alum weighed 31.7 grams while the shabu weighed 0.02 grams and had an estimated street value of P1,000.
A source said that Perfecio may have used the alum as decoy to distract the jail guards and for them not to notice the small packet of shabu inside her shoulder bag.
Following the release of the results, Perfecio who remained detained at the Tagbilaran City jail was immediately charged with possession of illegal drugs.
Perfecio was arrested on Tuesday after BDJ designated searcher Cherry Mae Balani found the two white crystalline substances in small and large sizes inside the suspect’s bag.
According to Balani, she inspected Perfecio’s belongings as the jail visitor was about to meet her live-in partner, Lemuel Guades who is facing a drug charge, inside the facility.
“While nag search ko, naa koy una nakita na bar, ingon siya tawas. Pero kadtong pag ukay-ukay na sa iyang bag, nakita na pud nako ang small na [packet],” said Balani. (A. Doydora)