NarcGroup nabs 2 Fujian natives

Two Chinese nationals were arrested Monday by agents of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Narcotics Group (NarcGroup) after a kilo of shabu worth P2 million was seized from them during a buy-bust in the vicinity of a mall in North Avenue, Quezon City.

The arrest of Willy Rosal Chua, 30, and Joseph Lim, 30, came four days after the Anti-Trafficking Division (ATD) of NarcGroup and the Metro Manila Drug Enforcement Group (MMDEG) raided a clandestine shabu laboratory in Quezon City.

Chief Superintendent Ruben Cabagnot, NarcGroup officer-in-charge (OIC), said investigators are trying to determine whether Chua and Lim, who are both natives of Fujian, China, belonged to the same drug syndicate that operated the shabu factory in Quezon City.

The seven Chinese nationals who were arrested in the shabu laboratory are also natives of Fujian, China, Cabagnot noted.

Reports reaching Cabagnot alleged that Chua and Lim were responsible to the large-scale distribution of shabu in Davao City, General Santos City and other key cities of Mindanao.

Cabagnot said Lim and Chua, both having no permanent address in Metro Manila, were put under surveillance some two weeks ago. An informant was able to set a drug deal with the suspects resulting to their arrests, he said.

Lim and Chua were arrested after they received marked money amounting to P700,000 from a police undercover agent at about 5 a.m. Monday.

The crime laboratory of the Philippine National Police (PNP) claimed that the seized evidence yielded 994 grams of high-grade shabu.

Investigators said Chua was found positive of ultra-violet powder upon examination which indicates that he handled the marked money.

A check with the Bureau of Immigration showed that Chua and Lim have been staying as illegal aliens in the Philippines for the past six years now.

Cabagnot ordered the filing of drug peddling charges against Chua and Lim before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office. They are detained at the ATD headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa, in Barangay Bicutan, Taguig. – Non Alquitran