THE Office of the Provincial Prosecutors filed charges against four suspects arrested in the P2.5 billion drug buy-bust in Pozorrubio town on August 12 before the Regional Trial Court (RTC), Branch 46 in Urdaneta City, in a sworn complaint filed by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

Violations of Sections 5 and 11 of Republic Act No. 9165 were filed against suspects Ke Wujia, alias James Dagale Galupo, a Chinese national, 49, a resident of San Vicente Sur, Agoo, La Union; Johnbert Yagong, 22, a resident of San Agustin Norte, Agoo, La Union; Jenson Rey Yago, 29, of Napaturan, Barangay Codcod, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental; and Ritchell Repuesto, 28, a resident of San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.

PDEA operatives led by Provincial Officer Richie Camacho conducted a buy-bust operation against Ke Wujia in a private subdivision in Barangay Banding, Pozorrubio last Friday, August 12.

Camacho said the operatives initially bought five blocks of suspected shabu from Ke Wujia. Each block weighed one kilogram.

But further search in the premises uncovered 360 more kilograms of suspected shabu blocks bundled in sacks and disguised as Chinese tea. All these had street value of P2.5 billion.

The PUNCH managed to interview Ke Wujia and his cohorts, who admitted that the suspected shabu found in their custody was intended for delivery particularly in Southern Luzon and the National Capital Region. Some of these are even reaching as far as Cebu province, they said.

An illegal drugs operation conducted by PDEA last year also yielded big hauls of shabu, also wrapped in the same brand of Chinese tea.

PDEA Deputy Director General Rodrigo Pimentel described the suspects’ modus in transporting bulks of shabu, calling this as “dead-dropping”, This was affirmed by Ke Wujia.

Ke Wujia said that when he receives a bulk order, he would buy a secondhand car, put the ordered shabu inside and camouflage it with grocery items and cover it with blanket to escape detection.

PDEA Director General Wilkins Villanueva revealed Ke Wujia was first spotted in a camera footage during a March 22 operation by PDEA in NCR.

Ke Wujia had just finished his delivery of shabu when he was tracked by PDEA operatives.

In addition to the PDEA warehouse, another warehouse was discovered by PDEA in San Fernando, La Union.

Because satellite phones were recovered in both Pangasinan and La Union operations, PDEA Director General Villanueva said that illegal drugs were likely being smuggled into the country through the sea.

The modus, according to him, was bulks of illegal drugs had to be dropped along the country’s waters by still unidentified ocean-going vessel controlled by the syndicate. Their local contacts are being contacted via satellite phones to guide them to the locations where the illegal drugs were dropped.  (Ahikam Pasion)

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