Thursday, October 18, 2007
P2M shabu, P1M in cash seized
NEARLY P2 million worth of shabu and close to P1 million cash were confiscated from a lending company owner’s house in Sitio Banawa, Barangay Guadalupe in Cebu City yesterday afternoon.
Nine security cameras installed around the house on J. Fortich St. failed to stop the police from entering through the back door.
However, Paulo “Intot” Calunsag, 35, denied ownership of the shabu and accused the police teams of planting the evidence.
Senior Insp. George Ylanan of the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau (CIIB) and Supt. Pablo Labra II, Cebu City Police Office deputy chief for operations, led the team that raided the house past 1 p.m. yesterday.
Inside, they found Calunsag watching a television show while a woman, later identified as Marissa Tripoli, was allegedly caught repacking the illegal drugs.
Confiscated during the raid were six big packs of shabu estimated to weigh 50 grams, at least 20 medium packs of shabu believed to weigh about five grams and more than 100 sachets of the illegal drug.
Apart from the assorted packs of shabu, also recovered were a weighing scale, shabu repacking paraphernalia, one .38 revolver and P909,070 cash in different denominations.
Ylanan, in an interview, considered yesterday’s operation as the biggest drug haul so far this year by the Cebu City police.
Calunsag, he added, falls under the Level 1 Category in the illegal drug trade, which means he allegedly disposes of at least two kilos of shabu a week.
Based on the information received by the CCPO, Calunsag allegedly distributes his supply in the barangays of Ermita and Pasil.
The police force has listed these two barangays among the top 10 communities plagued by illegal drugs.
The CIIB, Ylanan said, conducted surveillance for two weeks, carefully studying the layout of the house and its sur-roundings, before raiding it yesterday.
Regional Trial Court Judge Ramon Codilla Jr. issued the search warrant.
Ylanan said that Calunsag owns the three-story house in Banawa, has a Toyota Fortuner, a big bike and two German Shepherds.
Calunsag also reportedly owns a lending firm, which Ylanan believes was just a front for his alleged distribution of illegal narcotics.
Calunsag, however, said the money confiscated by the police came from his family’s lending business. He was supposed to release cash yesterday to a client, he added.
Calunsag said the house and lot belonged to the aunt of his wife who is married to an American. But in keeping with Philippine laws, the foreigner couldn’t be listed as the property’s owner, he said.
Extra work
The lending business belongs to his wife, said Calunsag, and the surveillance cameras were installed as part of their security measures.
Calunsag’s housemaid Tripoli, however, admitted having been asked to repack the shabu.
On top of caring for Calunsag’s children, Tripoli said, she was also asked to repack the illegal drugs at least four times a week. She was reportedly paid P500 per session.
Calunsag and Tripoli will be charged with possessions of shabu, a violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Under this law, possession of at least 50 grams of shabu is punishable by life imprisonment and a fine of P500,000 to P10 million.
A separate complaint of illegal possession of a firearm will be filed against Calunsag. (JST/With CPL of Sun.Star Superbalita)
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