Police seized an estimated P34 million ($707,620) worth of shabu or crystal meth in a buy-bust operation in Caloocan City on Christmas Eve, said Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Debold Sinas.

Cops from the drug enforcement unit of the Caloocan City Police Station arrested suspect Uriel “Bong” Hewe Jr at a house in Amparo Subdivision, Barangay 179, at around 3 pm on Thursday, December 24, according to Sinas’ report shared by the PNP Public Information Office with reporters on Christmas Day.

Hewe works as a transport network vehicle service (TNVS) driver, and was on the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADAC) watch list, the PNP report said.

A total of 5.1 kilos of suspected shabu was confiscated from Hewe, believed to have a “standard drug price” of P34.68 million ($721,772) in the illegal trade.

The following items were found in the suspect’s possession, according to the PNP:

• a plastic bag containing a “white crystalline substance believed to be shabu” as the buy-bust operation’s object of sale
• 5 large vacuum-sealed plastic bags containing a “white crystalline substance believed to be shabu”
• a .45 caliber Armscor pistol with serial no. 1264262, a pistol magazine, and 4 pieces of live ammunition
• 3 foil wrappers of Chinese tea bags
• a rolling suitcase
• two ATM cards
• a digital weighing scale
• a smartphone
• cash amounting to P10,150, aside from the buy-bust money

Police conducted a physical inventory of the recovered evidence at the site of the arrest. It was witnessed by Barangay 179 councilor Gilbert Galveno, and Ismael Santos of the tabloid newspaper Bulgar.

“The anti-illegal drugs campaign will spare no one, holiday or no holiday,” said Sinas in a statement. – Rappler.com

*$1 = P48.04