The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Negros Occidental filed c harges yesterday against an alleged drug distributor in Cadiz City and his accomplice, for the sale and transportation of dangerous drugs, before the Cadiz City Prosecutor's Office.

Intelligence Agent 1 John Carlo Daquiado said yesterday that t he charges were filed against Kurt Reylan Majarucon, who is a priority target of PDEA, and Jonathan Badilles, after a big heat-sealed transparent sachet of suspected shabu, weighing about 500 grams, was recovered from them during a buy-bust operation Tuesday near a pension house in Villena Street, Cadiz City at about 5 p.m.

PDEA regional director Paul Ledesma said the substance recovered from the suspects, weighing about 500 grams, was confirmed to be high grade methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, after laboratory examination was conducted at the regional office.

It has an estimated street value of P3.5 million if pegged at P7,000 per gram, based on current prices in Negros, he said.

Ledesma said they are conducting hot pursuit operations against Majarucon, who evaded arrest after handing a small heat-sealed plastic sachet of shabu to a poseur-buyer, in exchange for P500 in marked money.

He said they had earlier received information that watchlisted drug personalities have been conducting regular meetings in the pension house, allegedly owned by relatives of Majarucon, based on their investigation. It is the same building where the courier service company that shipped the illegal substance, is located, he added.

Ledesma said they submitted Majarucon's name and address to their national office and he is listed in their drug information system. Earlier, their head office had received reports that there are illegal drugs being shipped to his address.

He said they conducted the buy-bust transaction two blocks away from the pension house and, incidental to the lawful arrest, was the seizure of the package shipped from Quezon City.

Ledesma said the package came from Roel Bohol of 35 Lanusan Street, Muños, Quezon City and was addressed to a certain “Zein Lao,” whom they discovered to be non-existent.

“The arrival of the package was delayed because there was closure of our airspace due to the departure of US president Barack Obama,” he said. It was claimed by both Majarucon and Badilles close to 5 p.m. Tuesday, he added.

Ledesma said the illegal substance was well concealed inside a speaker box that was wrapped in carbon paper to avoid being detected by x-ray equipment.

In most cases the illegal substance is being adulterated by the supplier after it has been shipped to stretch its volume to about double, he said.

Ledesma said the charges filed against Majarucon and Badilles for violation of section 26, which is conspiracy in relation to section 5, or the sale of illegal drugs, and section 11 of the Republic Act 9165, are non-bailable.

Ledesma also said they have identified three barangays in Bacolod City that are havens and sources of illegal drugs, and those are Barangays 2, 22, and Banago.*CGS

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