The alleged shabu seized from two Maranaos at a checkpoint in Brgy. Jonob-Jonob, Escalante City, on Wednesday night was probably intended for delivery to Cadiz City, police investigations show.

Arrested suspects Mangontabar Halim and Umpa Abdul Malik, both residents of San Carlos City, have vehemently disowned the suspected shabu estimated at 42.7 grams, recovered from them by PO2 Glen Portunes and PO2 John Catubig, inside the Ceres Liner passenger bus.

Escalante police chief Mateo Maguate yesterday said five plastic sachets of shabu were taken from Halim and four packs of similar substance from Malik.

Maguate said the arrested suspects who were hesitant to disembark from the Ceres Liner passenger bus at a police checkpoint, were on their way to Cadiz City when they were arrested.

Negros Occidental police director Charles Calima who commended the Escalante police led by Maguate and the 602nd Regional Mobile Group for a job well done, said the setting up of checkpoints is not only aimed at restricting the movements of lawless groups, but also of drug peddlers.

Halim and Malik, who used to be residents of Marawi City, admitted selling digital and video compact discs in San Carlos City and nearby areas.

SPO2 Ramon Bartulin, intelligence chief of the San Carlos, said the two suspects were monitored to have been traveling from Cebu to San Carlos City.

Police investigations show that the suspects used the sale of DVDs and VCDs as a "front" for the selling of prohibited drugs.

Shabu is being sold at P3,000 per gram in the market as monitored by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the amount confiscated from the two would cost P126,000.

Under RA 9185, or the Comprehensive Drug Act of 2002, possessing more than 10 grams of shabu is a non-bailable offense with a maximum penalty of a life sentence.

Calima said they are still verifying if the two Maranaos have connections with organized drug syndicates.

Also seized from the two suspects were a Nokia 1150 cellphone with charger, P458 in cash, and two Ceres Liner passenger tickets.

Malik and Halim were brought yesterday to the Crime Laboratory in Bacolod City for drug testing and examination of the alleged shabu taken from them.*GPB

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