By John Rey Saavedra

BIG HAUL. Authorities examine 25 kg. of suspected shabu worth PHP175 million, detected by K9 dog Bayani of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 7 (Central Visayas) inside a Mitsubishi Mirage G4 sedan at Pier 5 in Cebu City on Thursday (Jan. 23, 2025). The truck driver and his mother, who were apprehended at the scene, face drug-related charges while the seized substances undergo confirmatory testing at the PDEA-7 laboratory. (Photo courtesy of PDEA-7)

CEBU CITY – Anti-narcotics agents seized 25 kg. of suspected shabu valued at PHP175 million from a truck driver and his mother at Pier 4 in this capital city on Thursday.

The suspects were disembarking from a roll-on, roll-off (Ro-Ro) vessel arriving from Masbate when their vehicle underwent a random inspection.

The Seaport Interdiction Unit of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 7 (Central Visayas), with the help of K9 dog Bayani, detected the illegal substance inside a Mitsubishi Mirage G5 sedan.

The suspects, a 41-year-old truck driver known as alias Edward from Isabel, Leyte, and his 63-year-old unemployed mother, alias Edna, from Barangay Ermita, Cebu City, were promptly arrested.

Authorities discovered 25 packs of suspected shabu, each weighing about 1 kg., concealed in a large brown box within the vehicle.

Also seized from the suspects were two identification cards, three smartphones, and the wine-red-colored sedan.

An on-site screening test conducted by PDEA-7 chemists confirmed the presence of methamphetamine hydrochloride in the seized drugs.

The evidence will be sent for further confirmatory testing and appropriate processing.

The suspects are in PDEA-7 custody and will face charges for violating Section 5, Article II of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. (PNA)