The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said it confiscated more than P218 million worth of illegal drugs from a foreigner and a college student during separate buy-bust operations in Cavite and Kalinga provinces.

PDEA Director-General Isagani R. Nerez said anti-narcotics agents arrested alias “Li”, a Chinese national, after he allegedly sold one kilo of “shabu” worth P6.8 million to an undercover agent during a buy-bust operation at a parking lot of a fast-food chain along Bacoor Boulevard on Friday, March 21.

A follow-up search operation yielded 31 kilos of suspected shabu and four plastic sachets containing 35 pieces of red ecstasy tablets from the suspect, the PDEA chief noted. 

The street value of all the confiscated illegal drugs was estimated at P217,642,000.

“The arrested Chinese national has been under our tight watch for quite some time now under COPLAN: Mafioso. He is capable of distributing voluminous amounts of illegal drugs, and is now behind bars,” Nerez stated.

Li faces charges for violation of Section 5 (Sale of Illegal Drugs) and Section 11 (Possession of Illegal Drugs) under the Republic Act (RA) 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Meanwhile, PDEA agents also arrested a college student during an entrapment operation in Tabuk City, Kalinga on Thursday, March 20, after he allegedly yielded six kilos of dried marijuana bricks worth P720,000.

Alias “Larry” was collared in Purok 6, Barangay  Bulanao Centro around 4 p.m. but the PDEA said his two cohorts with aliases “John John” and Edmar” eluded arrest and are now the subject of a manhunt.

Also confiscated from the suspect were the boodle money, two motorcycles, and a cellular phone.

Larry and his cohorts face charges for violation of RA 9165.