Fake 'balut' vendor peddles drugs

Evidently, not all 'balut' (boiled duck eggs) vendors are the same. One vendor, pretending to sell balut, was arrested on Tuesday as he was found to be allegedly selling illegal drugs in a buy-bust operation in Quezon City, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said. Noel Montes, 44, was arrested at 12:30 a.m. Tuesday for allegedly selling high-grade cocaine at the corner of Amoranto Avenue and Mayon Street in La Loma, Quezon City, the PDEA said in a news release. PDEA said about two kilograms of high-grade cocaine worth around P10 million were recovered from the suspect. Initial investigation showed that the illegal drugs Montes was peddling originated from Eastern Samar, where almost two tons of illegal drugs were said to have been dumped in December 2009. The suspect has been charged for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 (Republic Act 9165), the PDEA said. An estimated P325-million worth of cocaine has already been recovered from Eastern Samar this year, according to the country’s Dangerous Drugs Board. Two weeks ago, local residents from Eastern Samar have already surrendered to authorities 18 bricks of cocaine, which they had recovered along the shorelines of the province. –VVP, GMANews.TV