7 Chinese drug couriers fall

Seven Chinese nationals allegedly belonging to a big-time drug syndicate were arrested over the weekend in a series of raids that yielded P114 million worth of shabu.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Leandro Mendoza identified the suspects as Zhang Zhimeng, Li Chun Tsai, Tiu Siu Chen alias Ana, Cu Un Hai alias Carlito Co, Liu Siu Chin, Noel Dizon Chua and Carlos Chan Tan.

He said these Chinese nationals were all undocumented aliens, meaning they were able to enter the country without the required visa.

"We’re coordinating with the Bureau of Immigration to investigate how these men were able to enter the country," he said.

Mendoza said some 57 kilos of shabu were seized from the suspects.

"This is a big setback for the drug syndicate which we believe is planning to bring more illegal drugs into the country and make the Philippines a transshipment point of their illegal cargo," he said.

Agents belonging to the PNP’s Narcotics Group raided the group’s alleged hideout at Unit 25 of Jalandoni Compound along Don Benito Hernandez Avenue in Pasay City Thursday night.

They were able to arrest Zhang Zhimeng and confiscate one kilo of shabu. During interrogation, Zhang told the agents the details of their operation and NarcGroup men immediately launched a follow-up raid at the vicinity of Seafront Garden Restaurant along Roxas Boulevard, also in Pasay City.

The agents arrested Li Chun Tsai, Tiu Siu Chen, Cu Un Hai and Liu Siu Chin in their second raid and seized 15 kilos of shabu.

The four Chinese men, when interrogated, revealed that they were separately billeted at the Escolta Twin Towers in Binondo. After securing search warrants, police raided units 1601 and 504 of Escolta Tower A and units 702 and 503 of Tower B last Friday and found one more kilo of shabu.

Later that day, the NarcGroup men found 40 kilos of the drugs inside the van owned by one of the suspects which was parked on the fourth level of Escolta Towers.

The remaining two suspects – Noel Dizon Chua and Carlos Chan Tan, allegedly serving as couriers for the group – were arrested that same day in another raid in Manila. About 241 grams of shabu were seized from them.

Chief Superintendent Efren Fernandez, head of the NarcGroup, said the drug bust is one of their biggest accomplishments this year. "We won’t stop until we stop this drug menace which is afflicting millions of our countrymen," he said.