Chinese charged for shabu possession

A Chinese was charged before the Manila Regional Trial Court yesterday for allegedly selling P200,000-worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, to a police poseur-buyer last month.

Zhi Ong, 41, a sales agent from Fujian, China, was charged with violation of Section 5 and Section 11 (Illegal Possession of Dangerous Drugs), Article II of RA 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. Assistant City Prosecutor Roy Cabatuando recommended no bail for Ong’s temporary liberty.

Ong was arrested by operatives of the Philippine National Police Anti-Illegal Drugs at Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan, Taguig City, during a buy-bust operation conducted on Nov. 21 in front of the Francisco Balagtas Elementary School, located along Alvarez Street near Severino Reyes Street, Sta. Cruz, Manila. An informant who admitted to be a regular customer of the accused set up the supposed drug deal.

The operation was planned by the police after receiving the info that Ong had been responsible for the proliferation of shabu in the Sta. Cruz area.

Members of the police team arrested Ong right after he handed over an “ang pao,” or Chinese envelop, containing 44.908 grams of shabu in a small ice plastic bag to the poseur-buyer.

A search conducted immediately after his arrest inside his Toyota Camry car yielded a plastic ice bag containing 122.196 grams of shabu and another plastic bag of 45.409 grams of shabu. An envelop containing the “boodle” money, which was topped by four marked P1,000 bills, was recovered from his possession.