TAGBILARAN CITY – Two tourist van drivers, one of them a street level individual, were caught in a drug bust operation by the City Drug Enforcement Team (CDET) on August 14, 2023 in Barangay San Isidro, this city.
The suspects were identified as Zaimon Abay, 34, and Joseph Lim III Zafra, 31, both residents of Barangay Bool, Tagbilaran City.
They were arrested after they sold a sachet of suspected shabu worth P500 to a police poseur-buyer around 11:35 p.m.
According to CDET, they recovered from the suspects 25 grams of shabu with an estimated street value of P170,000.
The illegal drugs were packed in several sachets and hidden inside a plastic container.
Authorities said that Abay was a street level individual who was previously arrested for drug charges in 2019 but was released after availing of a plea bargaining agreement.
Police said that Abay and Zafra were both tourist van drivers who used their vehicles to transport and deliver drugs to their clients.
The suspects are now detained at the CDET custodial facility and will face charges for violation of Sections 5 and 11 of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.