South Korean nabbed in condo drug raid

MANILA, Philippines — A South Korean man allegedly maintaining a drug laboratory in a condominium in Quezon City was apprehended by anti-narcotics officers on Tuesday.

Jungkil Kim, 57, was arrested by operatives of the Manila and Quezon City Police Districts and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) during a raid on a condominium building in Barangay Sto. Cristo at around 3 p.m.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) lauded the operatives for the latest accomplishment in the government’s war on drugs.

“The PNP’s campaign against high-value targets will remain relentless to stop the supply of illegal drugs,” PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said in a statement.

Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas, acting director of the National Capital Region Police Office, tagged Kim as a chemist for a drug ring.

Sinas said Kim’s condominium unit was full of laboratory equipment, which the suspect allegedly used to manufacture narcotics.

Armed with a search warrant, police said they conducted the raid after receiving information that Kim was allegedly maintaining a drug laboratory.

Authorities said they recovered 11 packs of shabu and drug precursors during the operation.

Kim was turned over to the NBI, which was the lead agency in the operation.

Four suspected drug pushers were arrested in another sting in Quezon City, which yielded P1.02 million worth of shabu.

Police said Jeth Russel Biatin, 21; Gerry Roxas, 40; RJ Viovicente, 32, and Antonio Neri, 42, were on the drug watchlist.

Quezon City police director Brig. Gen. Ronnie Montejo said at least 150 grams of shabu were confiscated in the operation in Barangay Old Balara.

Montejo said the suspects allegedly sold P50,000 worth of shabu to a police officer who posed as a buyer.

In Mandaluyong City, two persons were nabbed for alleged possession of P170,000 worth of shabu in Barangay Barangka.

They were Jonathan Martelino, 29, and Joshua Salicinas, 27.

In Pasay, 39-year-old Brenda Navalta was collared in a drug sting.

Police said they recovered P44,000 worth of drugs from Navalta.