Drug suspect faces more raps after P.3-million bribe try

MANILA, Philippines - A Chinese national, nabbed in a buy-bust operation in Sampaloc, Manila yesterday, was slapped with additional charges after he tried to bribe the police officers who arrested him with more than P300,000.

Aside from possession and selling of illegal drugs, Tin Leung Lee, alias Tony Chua, 57, of Balagtas, Bulacan, was also charged with attempted corruption of a public official.

Chief Inspector Alexander Navarrete, who heads the Mayor’s Special Action Team (MSAT), handed several bundles of assorted currency in a blue plastic bag to Mayor Alfredo Lim during a press conference at the city hall. Navarrete said Lee gave him the money in exchange for his release following his arrest.

In front of journalists, Lim counted the money consisting of P152,600, $4,200 and six 10,000-yen bills, totaling at least P300,000.

Navarrete said Lee has been under police surveillance for several weeks following reports that he sold methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu in Manila.

During the buy-bust, Lee was caught with four plastic sachets of suspected shabu with an estimated weight of at least 20 grams.

The recovered shabu was submitted to the Manila Police District’s crime laboratory for analysis. Lee is currently undergoing tactical interrogation to determine the source of his illegal drugs, according to Navarrete. – Nestor Etolle