Chinese nabbed in P15-million drug bust

MANILA, Philippines — Operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) arrested a Chinese man for alleged possession of at least three kilos of shabu with an estimated street value of P15 million during a sting in Manila on Saturday night.

 The arrest of Jason Chen, 37, alias Xu Qingchu, of Alonzo street in Sta. Cruz, came after months of surveillance, according to PDEA public information chief Derrick Arnold Carreon.

The PDEA agents, backed by members of the Manila Police District drug enforcement unit, apprehended Chen at the corner of Plaza del Carmen and Roxas Boulevard at around 7:30 p.m.

Aside from shabu, authorities said they recovered the marked money and a white Hyundai Tucson believed used by the suspect in his drug deals.

Carreon said they were checking if Chen has links with suspected Chinese drug traffickers arrested recently by the PDEA in Malabon City and Batangas.

Eight persons, including four Chinese, were nabbed when PDEA agents raided a drug laboratory in Batangas on April 12.

The next day, anti-narcotics operatives busted a shabu facility in Malabon and arrested a Chinese and his Filipino driver. 

PDEA chief Aaron Aquino said the Chinese were members of the Dragon Wu drug ring with links to the Golden Triangle operating at the borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar.

Chen is being held by police on charges of selling illegal drugs under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act. 

Five other drug suspects were nabbed when police raided a house in Paco yesterday.

Three of the suspects were identified as Jerald Mark Lara, Danilo Lara and Jesus Lara.

Police said they recovered P60,000 worth of shabu and firearms during the operation.

Senior Inspector Edwin Fuggan said they conducted the raid after receiving information that the Laras were allegedly into drug pushing.

In Pasig, two drug suspects were collared in separate operations in Barangays Pineda and Pinagbuhatan.

They were Joy Baderes and Ricky Retales.

The suspects allegedly yielded six sachets of shabu and the marked money.  – With Romina Cabrera, Non Alquitran