Chinese man arrested in Binondo drug raid

MANILA, Philippines - Manila police officers and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) arrested an alleged member of a China-based drug syndicate in a raid on a condominium building in Binondo, Manila yesterday.

Lawmen raided Unit 9D of the Alonzo Tower and recovered a plastic sachet of shabu from Tony Po Ang, whom they found clinging to a window ledge during the raid.

Meisic police station chief Superintendent Nelson Yabut said the subject of the search warrant is a certain “Raif,” who allegedly maintains a drug den in the building, but they found Ang instead.

PDEA agents seized from Ang a personal computer, a digital weighing scale, mobile phones, and drug paraphernalia.

The raid was carried out by virtue of a warrant issued by Manila regional trial court (RTC) Judge Cielito Mindaro-Grulla, the same judge who issued warrants that led to the discovery of Pasig’s so-called Malacañang House owned by convicted shabu tiangge operator Amin Imam Boratong.

Records identify Ang, a Chinese national, as a drug-pushing suspect arrested March 2008 but was released 11 months later after the case against him was dismissed due to technicality.

“This time, we will make sure to come up with an airtight case,” said PDEA Director General Dionisio Santiago.

He said Ang, who is temporarily detained at the PDEA detention facility in Quezon City, will be charged with possession of illegal drugs and illegal drug instruments.

Yabut said the Alonzo Tower is one of the known residen-ces of Henry Sia, who was recently arrested by PDEA for allegedly maintaining shabu laboratories in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.