CEBU CITY – The two men arrested with ₱136 million worth of illegal drugs were members of a syndicate that had only recently begun operating in Cebu, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency–Central Visayas (PDEA‑7).
PDEA‑7 said the group, identified by the suspects only as “Romy” and “Dante,” cannot yet be considered a big‑time syndicate since it has only just surfaced in the region.
Information officer Leia Alcantara said the investigation is ongoing to identify the suspects’ cohorts.
Romy and Dante were arrested in a buy‑bust operation in Barangay Uling, Naga City, Cebu on Sunday, May 24, where authorities seized at least 20 kilos of suspected shabu.
“We cannot call them a drug syndicate just yet, but they have a structure. They are an organized crime group per our leader,” Alcantara explained.
She added that the seized shabu was not intended solely for Central Visayas, noting that Cebu serves as a transshipment point and some of the drugs may have been bound for Mindanao.
Based on the investigation, the suspects had previously transported as much as 30 kilos of shabu at a time.
They admitted that the drugs originated from Luzon and were brought to Cebu by land. (Calvin Cordova)
