CEBU CITY – The Police Regional Office in Region 7 or Central Visayas (PRO-7) on Wednesday said the PHP78-million worth of shabu seized from the three men, who were killed in a shootout with policemen in Mandaue City on Tuesday, came from Metro Manila.
PRO-7 chief Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas said based on intelligence reports gathered by operatives of the Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) of the Mandaue City Police Office, the shabu from Metro Manila was transported here on a still undisclosed date.
Col. Jonathan Abella, chief of the Mandaue police, said the operation on Zuellig Ave., Mandaue Reclamation Area, was also a product of months of surveillance and verification of information gathered from drug suspects arrested in previous anti-drug operations.
Abella said CIB operatives of the Mandaue City Police Office conducted the buy-bust in the area. Sensing that they were transacting with the authorities, the three men on board a gray multi-cab van opened fire at the police, who then returned fire.
Two of the suspects died right away, while the third one was brought to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
Abella said the police seized a large pack of shabu and 10 teabags containing shabu with a total weight of 11 kilos with an estimated market value of PHP78 million.
The operatives from the CIB also recovered a .357 revolver, .45 caliber pistol, a KG-9 submachine gun, and the multi-cab van used by the suspects.
As of this posting, the police identified only one of the three men killed in the shootout. The police said Prince James Mapalo, 21, of A. Lopez, Labangon village of this city was identified by his father who rushed to the area after hearing the report.
According to the police, Mapalo “handed over one extra-large pack covered with yellow packaging tape containing white crystalline substance believed to be shabu to the PNP poseur buyer in exchange for PHP1,000 on top of boodle money.”
The Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) processed the crime scene while representatives from the Mandaue Prosecutors Office were tapped for inquest proceeding to determine the legitimacy of the operation.
CIB operatives are now investigating to determine the identities of the two other slain suspects and the owner of the multi-cab used in transporting drugs in Metro Cebu and other towns in the province. (PNA)
