National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Jaime Santiago shows a sample of a stuffed animal toy that Nguyen Van Thai or Nguyen Van Quan, a Vietnamese national arrested for illegal drugs, allegedly uses to conceal ecstasy, a popular party drug, before delivering them to clients via the transportation network vehicle service (TNVS). Nguyen was presented to the media at the NBI headquarters in Manila on Friday, July 26, 2024. Nguyen is the owner of a designer bag containing illegal drugs, which was left in a taxi in 2023, according to the NBI. | PHOTO: Tetch Torres-Tupas / INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested the owner of a designer bag containing illegal drugs, which was left in a taxi in 2023.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago identified the suspect as Nguyen Van Thai or Nguyen Van Quan, a Vietnamese national.
The Vietnamese man was arrested by operatives of the NBI-Dangerous Drugs Division (DDD) during a buy-bust operation in Parañaque City on July 10. Authorities said the suspect sold ecstasy and ketamine to a government agent who pretended to be a buyer of the illegal drugs.
According to the NBI, the suspect would sell ecstasy and deliver it through the transportation network vehicle service (TNVS). The prohibited pills are hidden inside stuffed animal toys.
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Following Nguyen’s arrest, the NBI-DDS secured a search warrant from Parañaque Regional Trial Court Branch 260 and scanned the suspect’s rented condominium unit at the Entertainment City in Parañaque where they found 14 grams of Ketamine and 53 tablets of ecstasy, which has an estimated street value of more than P500,000, as well as stuffed animal toys of different sizes.
Santiago said a tablet of ecstasy is worth P 2,000 while ketamine is 12,000 per gram. He added that ecstasy is a popular party drug, while ketamine is abused for its dissociative sensations and hallucinogenic effects and is also used to facilitate sexual assault.
Also recovered from Nguyen’s condominium unit were weighing scales, bundles of cash, and plastic sachets.
Nguyen would be facing complaints for violating Republic Act 9165 the Dangerous Drugs Act, Falsification of Documents, and RA No. 6085 (Illegal Use of Aliases), the NBI said.