Three Chinese nationals, along with their two Filipino cohorts were arrested during a buy-bust operation in the vicinity of the Quirino Grandstand at the Rizal Park in Manila, said Chief Supt. Edgardo Tinio, Quezon City Police District director.
Tinio said elements of the District Anti-illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group seized from the suspects five kilos of shabu valued at P15 million.
“The suspects were nabbed early this morning at a parking lot,” Tinio said.
He identified the Chinese nationals as Dixon Kee Yu, 35, Qian Li alias Joey Li, 39, and Simon Tan, 53. The Filipinos are Husni Balenti, 30, and Amir Cana, 27.
DAIDSOTG head Chief Inspector Enrico Figueroa said the successful operation was the result of weeks of surveillance and confirmation operations against the three Chinese and their cohorts.
Before the arrest, a police agent contacted the Chinese at around 7 p.m. to buy a kilo of shabu. They agreed to meet at the McDonald’s fastfood along Quezon Avenue. After further negotiations, both parties finally agreed to meet again at around 6:30 a.m. the next day inside the Harborview parking lot where the arrest took place.
Also seized from the suspects were a Toyota Fortuner with only a conduction sticker, a blue Montero (AQA 3092), a Samsung tablet and three cellular phones.
Tinio said the arrest of the suspects was an offshoot of several previous anti-illegal drug-bust operations which, among others, included the arrest of Chinese national, Yong Han Cai y Co; Jamil Lawi y Dimaro, and Aira Ranese y Carino, at a hamburger restaurant on Macapagal Avenue, Pasay City on Dec. 11, 2015 and the confiscation of 10 kilos of shabu worth P30 million; the arrest of Paul L. Co, and Arvin O. Caray on Nov. 25, 2015 at the corner of V. Luna Avenue and Mapagbigay Street, Barangay Pinyahan, Quezon City and the confiscation of 3 kilos of shabu worth P9 million.