Cagayan de Oro City- On June 4, 2024, during routine security screening at the Passenger Terminal Building of CDO Port, Jake Patrick A. Cuer, a 30-year-old resident of Lapasan Cagayan de Oro City was apprehended due to an item concealed on the left side of the passenger’s waistline. Upon inspection, it was revealed to be a cylindrical container containing suspicious contents, including what appeared to be an improvised tooter, a syringe, and a piece of cloth. Despite the passenger’s claim that it was merely medicine for his cough, the baggage security, maintained suspicion and directed the individual to move aside, away from other passengers, before contacting the Port Police Officer.

Subsequent verification by PPO2 Moring HWB raised concerns about the nature of the contents within the container, suspecting them to be drug paraphernalia. With the assistance of the Philippine Coast Guard K9 unit, a thorough examination ensued, confirming the presence of drug components in the paraphernalia.

Furthermore, with the consent of Mr. Cuer and his companions, the K9 unit conducted a comprehensive sniffing procedure on their luggage, yielding negative results for any illicit substances. As a precautionary measure, the services of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Seaport Interdiction Unit were enlisted to validate the findings, with the presence of witnesses from the media and local barangay officials to ensure transparency and adherence to legal protocols.

The subsequent K9 sniffing operations conducted by PDEA reaffirmed the initial suspicions, with their dogs indicating the presence of drug components in the confiscated paraphernalia. However, despite manual inspections of the luggage yielding no illicit items, the integrity of the evidence was maintained through a meticulous inventory process witnessed by Mr. Cuer, media representatives, and barangay officials.

As of the latest update, the PMO-MOC, thru the Invest and Intel Section of PPD is diligently preparing the necessary documents and requests for laboratory tests, laying the groundwork for formal charges to be filed before the City Prosecutor’s Office.

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