Drug dealing from jail? AIDSOTF conducts probe

Operatives of the police Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AIDSOTF) are looking into the activities of an arrested Chinese national who continues to peddle shabu even while in jail.

AIDSOTF commander Director Marcelo Ele Jr. said the activities of Li Siu Chen were exposed following the arrest of his wife and four other relatives for peddling 300 grams of shabu in Pasay City last week.

Li is currently detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig after he was caught in possession of 15 kilos of shabu. A local court had denied him bail.

Ele directed Superintendent Eduardo Acierto, AIDSOTF executive officer, to confirm reports that he continues to do business behind bars.

An entrapment was immediately planned to confirm the report.

Last July 15, one of Acierto’s men contacted Li on his cell phone and arranged for the purchase of 300 grams of shabu worth P630,000. The deal involved two deliveries.

The first drug deal transpired in the vicinity of the Sta. Clara church on Burgos street in Pasay City. The operation resulted in the arrest of Maria Cristina Rodriguez, 19, a student and her 13-year-old sister.

The two were nabbed after handing over 100 grams of shabu worth P210,000 to an undercover agent, according to Chief Inspector Ismael Fajardo, deputy chief of AIDSOTF’s Special Operation Unit 3. The drugbusters also confiscated the suspects’ cell phones.

Two hours later, Fajardo arrested Li’s wife, Necel Rodriguez, 20, and her aunt, Erlinda Francisco, 40, after handing over 200 grams of shabu to an undercover agent in Pasay City.

Recovered from Necel was the P420,000 "boodle" money.

After learning of the arrest of his wife and other relatives, Li called up members of the arresting team and offered them P200,000 for their release.

AIDSOTF planned another operation in connection with the attempted bribe.

Ele gave Acierto the green light to conduct an entrapment to arrest Li’s "middleman."

Last July 17, Necel’s mother, Dolores Rodriguez, 49, a health worker, surfaced at the AIDSOTF headquarters in Camp Crame and identified herself as Li’s "middleman."

The elder Rodriguez was arrested after handing over P200,000 bribe money to SPO2 Ronald Parreno and PO3 Reynaldo Pascua, members of the raiding team that arrested her three daughters.

Ele said all suspects have been charged accordingly in court.

Acierto said they are currently conducting follow-up operations targeting Li’s accomplices in his illegal drug business.

"We also want to know why he was allowed to use a cell phone inside his cell and identify those who allowed this to happen," Acierto said.