Three Americans and two Britons are to face a Cebu court charged with taking illegal drugs in a city hotel room.
Jake Greevy, aged 32, and Wayne Barry Mcleney, 28, both from Britain, were allegedly caught in a drug session along with Americans Raymond Lewis Humphries, 28, Jeremy Michael Stevenson, 28, and Breana Austin Ulrich, 28.
A report in SunStar Cebu had originally identified Humphries as British, however his Facebook profile states that he is from Somerset, New Jersey.
It is unclear how the suspects were known to one another, but they were well-known members of the local expatriate community.
Prosecutor Leah Cruz has today (Thursday, June 14) committed them for trial after finding probable cause against them for violations of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.
She recommended they each pay bail of 200,000 pesos for possession of drugs 40,000 for possession of drug paraphernalia.
As we reported earlier this month, Mabolo police say that following a raid in Barangay Luz on May 31, they arrested Meljin Casimero Abad for possession of drugs and paraphernalia.
Under interrogation, Abad told them that his source of shabu was a “foreign national” – a certain Jake – who was living in a condominium in Barangay Kamputhaw.
Officers than conducted a follow-up operation at the address at about 3am on June 1, but returned empty handed.
However, at about 10.30am on the same day, Abad informed them that Jake, from Sheffield, England, was currently staying at a hotel near his condominium.
Acting on this tip-off, officers went to the hotel and raided Jake’s room. Inside, they claim to have found the group of five taking drugs, and placed them under arrest at 11.30am.
As well as the drug paraphernalia — which included cigarette lighters — officers recovered 1.5706 grams of shabu from Greevy, 1.8252 grams of shabu from Humphries, 0.0400 gram of shabu from Mcleney, 0.1599 gram of marijuana leaves from Stevenson, and .00279 gram of shabu from Ulrich.
The Dangerous Drugs Board has valued the drugs at 84,046 pesos, or about $1,600.
According to the Freeman, in an inquest proceeding, the five chose not to undergo preliminary investigation to answer the accusations filed against them. They instead wanted to face the charges in court.
Prosecutor Cruz said she found sufficient ground to elevate the complaints to the court which was approved by City Prosecutor Liceria Lofranco-Rabillas.
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