ILLEGAL drugs worth P7.3 million were seized in two separate drug busts in Iloilo.
Aside from the seized drugs, three suspects were also nabbed.
The suspects, identified as Jennifer Nosotros, and her son, John Rey, 20, were arrested in Pavia town for carrying P6.3 million worth of shabu, while Lalaine Ereño, 56, was arrested in Arevalo District, Iloilo City for carrying P1,125,000 worth of shabu.
More than a half kilo of shabu was found in the possession of Jennifer and John Rey after a drug bust in Pavia around 6 p.m. Sunday, February 2.
Also recovered from them were cash, digital weighing scale, cellphone, empty transparent plastic sachets and a black sling bag.
Police Colonel Roland Vilela, director of Iloilo Police Provincial Office, said Jennifer and John Rey are the older sister and nephew, respectively, of Jovan Abantao, a high-value drug personality who has been detained at the National Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.
He said the two are also members of the Abantao Drug Group, which is using roll-on, roll-off vessels in transporting shabu to Panay Island.
The Abantao group is the main distributor of illegal drugs in Panay Island, added Vilela.
"They are loose-organized drug group and they are compartmentalized like they have a director. But now, we are hunting the pipeline," he said.
He also said that John Rey is a first year Criminology student who was paid P2,000 to repack the drugs. It was also his uncle, Jovan, who pays his tuition.
The other suspect, Ereño, was arrested in a drug bust at Zone 5 in Calaparan village, Arevalo district in Iloilo City around 1 a.m. Monday, February 3.
Recovered from her were a sling bag containing 15 big plastic sachets of shabu worth P1,125,000, cellphones and cash.
"I have an informant at the Bilibid (NBP) and told me that they have delivered twice. Sometime October last year and before the Dinagyang festival, they brought two kilos, one for Bacolod and the other one is in Iloilo," Vilela said.
He said they have identified the sender of the illegal drugs, so they did a link analysis.
"Lalaine is a tokhang responder, undergoing rehab. Two days ago, Lalaine was able to receive delivery (shabu) worth P1.1 million street value," Vilela said.
He said they already identified the person who received the money and they are already subject of manhunt operations.
A case of violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, will be filed against the suspects. (SunStar Philippines)