CEBU CITY: A call center agent was arrested on Monday night in a drug sting in Lapu-Lapu City and yielded a total of PHP3.5 million worth of illegal substance believed to be shabu, the police said on Tuesday.
Col. Elmer Salado Lim, Lapu-Lapu City police chief, said the suspect identified as Francis Belendes alias “Akang”, 35, and resident of Barangay Capitol Site in this capital city, has a pending drug case but was released on bail after his arrest on Aug. 20, 2022.
He said Belendes was arrested by the elements of the City Drug Enforcement Unit of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office in Sitio New Terminal of Barangay Pajo after their intelligence unit placed him under closed surveillance.
“His arrest came due to our successful monitoring of her illicit activities. Accordingly, Akang was one of the personalities responsible for the distribution of illegal drugs in Cebu City and here in Lapu-Lapu, particularly in (barangays) Pusok, Pajo, and neighboring or adjacent barangays,” Lim said.
The police seized from the possession of Belendes 13 packs of a white substance believed to be shabu weighing 500 grams with a street value of PHP3.5 million.
The suspect who was working in a business process outsourcing company here has also reportedly become an illegal drug distributor and can dispose of at least 50 to 100 grams of shabu every week, Lim said.
Accordingly, Belendes would usually take a “habal-habal” ride in distributing his illegal drugs to different areas in this city and Lapu-Lapu.
Aside from his previous drug case, Belendes is also facing another charge for violating Republic Act 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
He is now under the custody of the Lapu-Lapu City police
Source: Philippines News Agency