A 46-YEAR-OLD man was arrested in a buy-bust in Barangay Jugan, Consolacion town, northern Cebu, at around 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10, 2024.
The suspect was identified as Stephen Flaviano Solina, with live-in partner, from Barangay Dungig, Sta. Teresita, Cagayan Valley.
Taken from him were 1,625 grams of suspected shabu with a standard drug price of P11,050,000, P10,000 in buy-bust money and .22 revolver with four live rounds.
The Provincial Intelligence Unit (PIU) of the Cebu Police Provincial Office under the supervision of CPPO Chief Colonel Percival Zorrilla, and the operatives of Consolacion Municipal Police Station, led by Lieutenant Francis Salvid and overseen by Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Ananayo Jr., their station commander, jointly carried out the anti-illegal drug operation in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
After learning that a sizable amount of illegal drugs will be arriving in Cebu from Luzon, the authorities conducted an information gathering in which Solina's name surfaced.
When the illicit drug supply finally arrived, the authorities transacted to purchase drugs from Solina.
The suspect, who is currently living in San Matero, Rizal, claimed during police questioning that somebody ordered him to carry the drugs to Cebu in exchange for a P30,000 payment for each kilogram of shabu that he could sell.
Solina claimed that financial hardships drove him into the illegal drug trade, and his child, who is still in school, depends on him for assistance.
He said that his family was unaware that he had turned into a drug courier because all they knew was that he was driving a van with long distance trips in Luzon.
The suspect claimed that he had already smuggled a substantial amount of shabu into Cebu four times before being arrested.
He said he was able to deliver one kilogram of suspected shabu on his first effort in January 2024, four kilograms on his second and third attempts in March, and another four kilograms on his fourth attempt in April.
He stated that he just placed the illicit substance inside his backpack and took a bus from Manila to Cebu City without anyone checking his cargo.
"Nag tanong-tanong lang ako kung saan sasakay papunta sa Cebu, commute lang ako at first time kong nahuli," Solina said.
(I was just commuting and asking where to ride a bus to Cebu. I got caught the first time).
He claimed he didn't know anyone in Cebu and that his boss had only told him that somebody would call him to receive the drugs.
The CPPO has already obtained the name of Solina’s boss, who will be the next target of their anti-illegal drug operation in the coming days.
Colonel Zorrilla commended his men for their accomplishments.
He vowed to hold the suspect accountable for breaking Republic Act (RA) 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and RA 10591 or Illegal Possession of Firearms. (AYB, DVG, TPT)