Police anti-illegal drugs operatives seized on Tuesday night at least 371 kilos of shabu worth P2.5 billion following a drug bust in Makati City.
The seizure, which also resulted in the arrest of a Chinese national, is considered the “biggest” since the government intensified its anti-illegal drugs drive made by the National Police-Drug Enforcement Group (DEG) under Col. Romeo Caramat Jr.
The DEG personnel carried out the buy bust wherein they arrested Liu Chao at his apartment along Banuyo Street, Barangay San Antonio, Makati City, at around 11: 45 p.m.
PNP Officer in Charge Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa said that prior to the operation, the PNP had managed to conduct several test buys against the suspect, whom he described as a “warehouse keeper” for a drug syndicate.
“He was the source of drugs for other couriers,” Gamboa said.
The PNP officer in charge said that during the operation on Tuesday night, Liu sensed that he was transacting with a policeman posing as a buyer, prompting him to run inside his apartment.
When the team of policemen followed him inside his apartment, they discovered large volume of drugs, some of which were stuffed in suitcases.
The PNP-DEG arrested three more suspects several hours later in Las Piñas City in the follow-up operations.
Joel B. Bustamante and Merwin B. Bustamante, both residing at Tinajeros in Malabon City, were arrested at a parking lot located along C-5 Extension, Barangay Manuyo, Las Piñas City.
The two, who were reported couriers of Liu, yielded 17 plastic packs of suspected shabu with a total weight of more, or less 17 kilos, worth P115.6 million.
“Recovered pieces of evidence and the arrested suspects are now under the custody of PNP-DEG while complaint is being prepared for filing at the prosecutor office,” the PNP said.