A Tagbilaran City resident who has been tagged as a top drug personality in the region and his alleged cohort in the drug trade were allegedly caught in possession of shabu worth over P102 million during a buy-bust operation in Lapu-Lapu City.
Major Judith Besas, Lapu-Lapu City Police Office public information officer, said the drugs which weighed 15 kilos were seized from ”high-value” drug suspects Eric Felisilda, 46, of Lindaville Subdivision in Tagbilaran City and Neil James Vallesquina, 28, of Surigao Del Norte on Saturday last week.
Both men were identified as drug couriers who had no known current address.
However, Felisilda was traced to have previously operated in Tagbilaran City where he was arrested for drug charges in 2000.
He was released from the New Bilibid Prison in 2014 after serving his sentence but allegedly resumed his involvement in the drug trade.
“Wala ni silay specific address diri sa Lapu-Lapu kay lagi maghulat ra sila, moving kapunay. Mag rent ra og mga apartment,” said Besas.
According to Besas, the duo was apprehended after allegedly selling shabu worth P1 million to an undercover cop.
The seized drugs were found inside Chinese teabags, similar to ones used to conceal shabu that had been confiscated in previous anti-drug operations in various parts of the country including Bohol.
Based on the police’s initial probe, the drugs were sourced from Metro Manila and were transported by land to Cebu.
The arrest of Felisilda and Vallesquino was an offshoot of a previous operation that resulted in the June 13 apprehension of of Eleanor “Madame Aya” Quistadio who was allegedly caught in possession of shabu worth P27.2 million also in Lapu-Lapu City.
Meanwhile, police were still conducting follow-up investigations to determine if the drugs were intended to be shipped out of Cebu and distributed in other parts of the region including Bohol.
Police Regional Office 7 director Police Brigadier General Roque had noted that the seizure of the kilos of illegal drugs could lead to a major setback for groups behind the illegal drug trade in Central Visayas.
“Mapipilayan na sila ngayon dahil unti-unti ng bumabagsak sa kamay ng pulisya ang mga tao o grupo na responsable sa ilegal na mga kalakalan ng droga dito sa kabisayaan. Hahabulin ko kayo at wala kayong kawala sa batas,” said Vega in a statement. (A. Doydora)