Two Pakistanis were arrested by drug enforcement agents in a buy-bust operation yesterday morning in a downtown hotel in Colon. Seized from the two foreigners were an estimated P1 million worth of suspected illegal drugs, including what the authorities call “liquid shabu” or Ketamine Hydrochloride.
Atty. Jennifer Rosales, the regional officer in charge of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-7 identified the suspects as Chaudry Khuram Aziz, 33 and Majid Khan, 30.
The two were able to present their respective Alien Certificates of Registration to show that they are permanent residents of the country and are based in Pasay City.
Rosales said the Pakistanis have been the subject of surveillance operations for the past three months after the agency suspected them of importing illegal drugs from their country to the Philippines.
PDEA received reports that the drugs from the two foreigners are disposed in different areas in the country through their local contacts. The agency, however still has to confirm the reports.
The agents seized 90 vials of Ketamine Hydrochloride; three boxes of Nitrazepam; 546 tablets of Cytotic; 540 tablets of Lorazepam (Ativan) and 22 small boxes of Viagra during the buy-bust.
Aziz reportedly owned the drugs but he denied he is engaged in drug pushing. Khan, meanwhile, said he did not know what was inside the box that Aziz was carrying.
The drugs seized from the two foreigners are said to be easy to buy in Pakistan where these are considered “over the counter drugs.” In the Philippines, one needs to have a prescription before buying such drugs. — Edwin Ian Melecio/QSB