Cops seize P2-M shabu in buy-bust

Drug operatives of the Northern Police District Office (NPDO) arrested two Chinese nationals and seized a kilo of shabu in a buy-bust operation originally set in Caloocan City but ended Sunday night in Divisoria, Manila.

Chief Superintendent Marcelino Franco Jr., NPDO chief, presented suspects Delfin Chua, 38 and Chua Chai, 34, both residing at the Masangkay Condominium in Sta. Cruz, Manila, to the media yesterday. Both are natives of Fujian Province in Mainland China

Seized from the duo was about a kilo of shabu with an estimated street value of P2 million.

Prior to the arrest, an informant of the District Anti-Illegal Drugs-Special Operations Group (DAID-SOG) of the NPDO, headed by Chief Inspector Rafael Santiago, received information that some members of an international drug ring from China are in the Camanava area trying to dispose of shabu.

Santiago then formed a team led by PO3 Joel Borda, who acted as poseur-buyer, for an entrapment.

After establishing contact with the suspects, the team initially agreed to meet at the Gotesco Grand Central along the Rizal Avenue Extension in Monumento for the payoff.

The suspects, however, changed their minds later and asked to close the deal at the food court of the Divisoria Mall along Santos street in Divisoria. The deal was for the suspects to deliver 200 grams worth some P320,000.

At around 6:40 p.m., as the exchange took place, the operatives pounced on Chua.

Some 800 grams in four 200-gram plastic bags were also found in the possession of his companion Chai. The loot was contained in a brown Christmas bag with the markings "JBB Feb. 15, 2004".

In halting Tagalog, Chua claimed he has been in the country for two years. Franco said the two did not have identification cards or passports.

"We will check with the Bureau of Immigration. Since they have no documents, we can presume they are illegal aliens," Franco said.

Chua also told reporters it was the first time he made a delivery, but later admitted taking deliveries from a Chinese supplier, which he failed to name, each Sunday, with a fastfood restaurant in Valenzuela City as distribution point. Franco said the seized drugs were "old stock."

"With the fall of several drug laboratories in different parts of the country and the successive arrests we have made, we believe that drugs we seized were part of the supply that they failed to sell," Franco said.

He also said there are "bigger people" behind their operation.

"They are not alone. They have provided some details. We will investigate further and see how far we can go," Franco said.

He added the drug haul will be compared with those seized from drug laboratories previously raided so their origin can be determined.