THE Philippine National Police (PNP) Highway Patrol Group (HPG) has recovered two abandoned vehicles allegedly linked to the 1.4 ton shabu haul in Alitagtag, Batangas.
In a press conference on Thursday, April 25, 2024, PNP chief of the Public Information Office (PIO) Colonel Jean Fajardo said the two vehicles, a black Toyota Land Cruiser and a white Ford Explorer, were recovered in San Luis, Pampanga on April 21, more or less 300 to 400 meters away from each other.
“Based sa investigation ay ito pong black Land Cruiser na ito ay iniwan doon nung tanghali ng April 20 bagamat binalikan ito ng gabi rin noong araw na iyon at inilipat sa loob ng sementeryo samantalang ‘yung white Ford Explorer ay inilipat at iniwan naman doon sa unang pinagdalahan na lugar nung black Land Cruiser,” she said.
(Based on the investigation, this black Land Cruiser was left there at noon of April 20, although it was moved inside the cemetery in the evening of that day, while the white Ford Explorer was moved and left in the area where the black Land Cruiser was first placed.)
Fajardo said the two recovered vehicles were seen in a CCTV footage together with the van, which was flagged down in a checkpoint in Alitagtag, Batangas and found to be carrying over 1.4 tons of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) worth over P9 billion.
“Iba na ‘yung plaka na nakakabit dito subalit nung ininspect ito at pinrocess ay nakita ‘yung mga plaka ng dalawang sasakyan na nakita sa mga CCTV footages sa Batangas nandoon sa loob ng sasakyan, confirming na itong mga sasakyan na ito ay ‘yung mga sasakyan na subject ng ating investigation,” she added.
(The license plate attached to it is different but when it was inspected and processed, the license plates of the two vehicles seen in the CCTV footages in Batangas were found inside the vehicle, confirming that these vehicles are the subjects of our investigation.)
Fajardo said the vehicles are now under the custody of the Calabarzon police for further investigation particularly on its ownership.
She said a micro-etching procedure is being conducted for the possible recovery of the DNA of those who left the vehicles, as well as for possible traces of illegal drugs.
Fajardo said the Pampanga police have already obtained statements that may lead to the identity of the individuals who abandoned the two luxury vehicles.
“Sa ngayon, hindi na po muna natin maibigay ‘yung description at pagkakakinlanlan nung lulan ng mga sasakyan na nag-iwan diyan sa San Luis, Pampanga but sufficient to say na we are pursuing good leads pagdating doon sa nagmamaneho at may dala nitong mga sasakyan na nakita doon sa backtracking natin sa Batangas, as well as doon sa mga nag-iwan sa San Luis, Pampanga,” she said.
(Right now, we can't give the description and identification of the people onboard the vehicles that were left in San Luis, Pampanga, but suffice it to say that we are pursuing good leads when it comes to the driver and those who carried these cars and seen during our backtracking in Batangas, as well as those who left the vehicles in San Luis, Pampanga.)
Fajardo said the police also established that the person who rented the yacht, which was believed to have been used to transport the illegal drugs through the waters off Nasugbu, is the same person renting a house near the wharf, which was raided by the investigators recently but turned out negative.
She said investigators are looking for some more vehicles and houses linked to the drug haul, which resulted in the arrest Ajalon Michael Zarate on April 15.
The PNP earlier said that it is not discounting the possibility that the 1.4 tons of shabu recovered was part of a bigger drug haul. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)
