Charges filed vs owner of vehicle with P50M shabu

By Jorge Hallare LEGAZPI CITY, April 22 --The municipal police chief of Matnog, Sorsogon filed charges on Friday last week against the owner of an abandoned van where methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) valued at P50M were discovered by lawmen during Holy Week, said reports that reached the Police Regional Office (PRO) in here last Saturday. Sr. Insp. Ma.Luisa Calubaquib, PRO5 spokesperson, said charges had been filed against Ramil L. Mercado, identified as owner of the Toyota Revo (WLP-687) where 10 kilos of shabu were found, even as police are still conducting operations to locate his whereabouts. Chief Insp. Jeric Don Sadia, Matnog police chief, filed the charges against Mercado before the provincial prosecutor’s office in Sorsogon City. The vehicle was found abandoned inside Matnog Port in Sorsogon last April 11, 2017. Abandoned as it was, the van was first suspected to be loaded with explosives which caused fear among the personnel and civilians inside the port. Aided by a sniffing dog, police explosive experts inspected the vehicle and found huge stash of shabu hidden behind the interior walls of the van – 20 bags of high grade shabu with an estimated street value of P50M.