CAGAYAN de Oro City Police Office’s (Cocpo) drug enforcement unit seized more than P3 million worth of illegal drugs from an ex-convict during a raid at one of the urban barangays in the city, early this morning.
Police Major Aldrin Baculio, City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) chief, identified the suspect as Michael Jay Bryan Pacardo, 33, unemployed, and a resident of Zone 8, Zayas, Barangay Carmen of the said city.
According to Baculio, the suspect who is considered to be a high-value individual has just been released last year from the Davao Penal Colony where he was jailed for an illegal drug offense.
Pacardo was arrested in a buy-bust operation at his haven located at 9th Street, Barangay Nazareth at exactly 2:24 am.
Taken from the suspect were nine heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets containing a white crystalline substance believed to be shabu weighing more or less 450 grams with an estimated street value of P3,060,000, and P3,000 buy-bust money.
Before the raid, Baculio said their group surveilled the suspect for two months.
“Dugay-dugay gyud namo siya nadakpan tungod sa iyang kaidlas,” Baculio said.
The police official added that the contraband was sourced from somewhere in the Lanao area with its distribution in Cagayan de Oro and neighboring areas in Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon.
He said they are still conducting a thorough investigation of the suspect’s distribution network.
The suspect is now under the custody of the City Drug Enforcement Unit for proper disposition.
Cocpo Chief Police Col. Aaron Mandia vowed to launch more anti-illegal drug operations under his watch.
“The recent anti-illegal drugs operation bespeak the commitment of Cocpo to eradicate or eliminate illegal drugs in the city and in the entire region of Northern Mindanao,” Mandia’s statement reads in part.
In connection with the operation, Police Regional Office-10 Director Lawrence Coop lauded the operating unit for the successful operation.
“Our diligent efforts to eliminate illegal drugs in the region are slowly being realized. The success achieved by our personnel is a true demonstration of our full efforts and dedication to the campaign against illegal drugs.”
Along with the other agencies and community, the Police Regional Office-10 will continue to arrest illegal drug peddlers to achieve a drug-free Northern Mindanao, Coop added.
